Review: Moon and Genie by Half Moon Theatre
Venue: Theatre Royal, Thursday, April 4
“Hello magical, misty, round-faced moon,
hello fridge, hello spoons…”
A little Easter afternoon trip to the theatre… perfect! Except for my two woefully unenthusiastic children, post-dentist and definitely all “egged out”. Sceptical too as to whether they would enjoy it at their grand old ages of seven and 10. Desperate attempts to buoy them up melted faster than a chocolate egg in the elusive York spring sunshine.
What followed (in an eggshell) was a 40-minute fruit burst of storytelling, music and dance as the four characters cooked up a storm of delight in gran’s kitchen. Looking around the audience children and grannies alike were totally enthralled by this beautifully crafted story.
Night falls and the moon shines and serenades us with her magical song and soothing violin playing. A young boy, Jamal, prepares a special breakfast for his poorly gran. He is helped by his friend Maxwell, a hip hop street dancing life-size monkey (we were enthralled and wowed by his super cool dance moves) as they summon the Bollywood dancing Genie Of The Saucepan and travel the world to conjure a meal befitting a special granny.
Set against a fantastic wave of shiny pots, pans and colanders, we were drawn ever further into a dream-like world where the kitchen is most definitely the heart of the theatre!
At the end the children were invited to throw shapes with the cast and share bowls of fruit – yes they were set free on the dance floor, applauded and got their five-a-day! A feast for the eyes, ears, soul, and spirit – and not a chocolate egg in sight. I loved it.
As for my two bunnies they were indeed nourished by just the right amount of enchantment. In their words: “magical” (the ten year old), “extraordinary” (the seven year old).
- The Moon And Genie is at York Theatre Royal until Saturday, April 6, with performances at 11am and 2pm
- Tickets are £10 adults, £6 children from the Theatre Royal website