'Town Hall Cherubs' review or 'Do you see what I see?'
'Town Hall Cherubs', Sarah Golding
Battersea Arts Centre, 2nd December 2015
Written for Time Out
Have you ever taken a proper look at the finer details of BAC? Did you notice the cherubs twinkling in the ceiling, the bees buzzing about the mosaic tiles or the elegant marble staircase? You certainly will after this show. ‘Town Hall Cherubs’ is a chance for children aged two-to-five to get a closer look at the magical details hidden in the BAC building, all with a glittering cherub at the their side.
Things start gently in Sarah Golding’s beautifully paced production. The children are led up the stairs by narrator Dani (Danielle Marshall), where they find a little cherub (Barra Collins) fast asleep beneath designer Kirsty Harris’s glittering garlands. This cherub has dropped down from the ceiling and, as we’re lead in a magical dance around the BAC, it’s our job to help him find his way home.
The show is packed with endless visual innovations, all of which get the children to think differently about their surroundings. A mirror-floor is revealed to allow the children a closer look at the angels on the ceiling; one kid falls for the illusion so badly that he keeps looking up as he tickles the mirror, convinced his actions down below will affect the world above. It’s gorgeous to watch.
In one room the children lie underneath a huge kaleidoscope (designed by Ted Barnes and Amy Pitt) and shout out what they see: we’re in a forest, it’s Christmas, we’re in heaven! In another room, the sprogs play with giggling inflatable cushions and, in the final scene, a magical staircase (constructed by Theatre Ad Infinitum) is brought to life. It’s a shame that a pat message is shoved in at the last minute (‘Be brave kids!’) but it’s the only false step in this deeply imaginative and entrancing show.
Things start gently in Sarah Golding’s beautifully paced production. The children are led up the stairs by narrator Dani (Danielle Marshall), where they find a little cherub (Barra Collins) fast asleep beneath designer Kirsty Harris’s glittering garlands. This cherub has dropped down from the ceiling and, as we’re lead in a magical dance around the BAC, it’s our job to help him find his way home.
The show is packed with endless visual innovations, all of which get the children to think differently about their surroundings. A mirror-floor is revealed to allow the children a closer look at the angels on the ceiling; one kid falls for the illusion so badly that he keeps looking up as he tickles the mirror, convinced his actions down below will affect the world above. It’s gorgeous to watch.
In one room the children lie underneath a huge kaleidoscope (designed by Ted Barnes and Amy Pitt) and shout out what they see: we’re in a forest, it’s Christmas, we’re in heaven! In another room, the sprogs play with giggling inflatable cushions and, in the final scene, a magical staircase (constructed by Theatre Ad Infinitum) is brought to life. It’s a shame that a pat message is shoved in at the last minute (‘Be brave kids!’) but it’s the only false step in this deeply imaginative and entrancing show.
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