The Owl and the Pussy-Cat

The Owl and the Pussy-Cat went to sea

In a beautiful pea-green boat:

They took some honey, and plenty of money

Wrapped up in a five-pound note.

This well know Edward Lear poem is quintessentially English, outrageously silly and also, so it turns out, brilliant for a family theatre show.

The Old Rep Theatre
45 Station Street
Birmingham
http://www.oldreptheatre.co.uk

As soon as we entered the theatre, we had the opportunity to meet Owly-cat who was greeting the children as they waited for the show to begin. She remained our favourite character and the story revolved around her trying to find out why she was part-owl and part-cat.

We all laughed a lot as we watched the show. The funniest character was the pig who wanted his nose-ring back, which, according to the poem, one of his ancestors had sold for a shilling. The pig was, in fact, a clever puppet operated by one of the actors on stage.

The show took us into the weird and wonderful world of Edward Lear's clever rhymes. I do wish that I had read some of the poetry to Little Lady before the show. She really enjoyed the songs, rhymes and jokes but could have recognised parts from the poems if she had known them well.

The highlight of the show for our family was when the characters danced by the light of the moon. A giant inflatable moon was passed around the stage before the actors came down into the auditorium and threw the moon around the audience. This caused lots of excitement and laughter amongst the children.

Can I see see the show?
Yes, but sadly not in Birmingham. Take a look at http://fullhouse.org.uk/current-show/the-owl-the-pussycat/ for more information on dates and times where you can see it as the show continues its tour.

What's coming next at The Old Rep?
The two family friendly shows that I am looking forward to later in this year are Doctor Doolittle in October half term and Pinocchio at Christmas.

How do you get to The Old Rep?
The Old Rep is right in the centre of Birmingham. There are clear instructions on the website for getting there. We chose the train as the theatre is just a few minutes walk from New Street Station's Southside exit.

Thanks to The Old Rep for the opportunity to see a great show.

Hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,

They danced by the light of the moon,

The moon,

They danced by the light of the moon.

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