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★★★★
Stars are the theme at the Marlowe Theatre this festive season, with a new family musical opening in the Studio venue for the Christmas period. For those unfamiliar, the Marlowe has two performance spaces, with the main theatre hosting the annual pantomime (which is ‘Beauty and the Beast’ for 2024) and the more informal space upstairs typically hosting an alternative for young children. This year’s production is ‘My Pet Star’, which is produced by the theatre and based on the children’s book by Corrinne Averiss and Rosalind Beardshaw. It follows a young girl who rescues an injured star that has fallen from the sky, learning how to care for her cosmological ‘pet’ in the process. The musical’s book and lyrics have been penned by Lily Dyble and some of the rhymes from the story have even made it into the script.
About the musical
Themes of kindness and caring for others are at the heart of this story, which sees Girl (Freya Stephenson) experience loneliness and subsequently long for a pet. Over the course of 60 minutes of live theatre, the main character and her dazzling Star (Mark Milligan) work together to complete the ‘star chart’ of good health, completing various challenges which help the visitor regain their strength. The character of Girl is young and full of energy, expressing exaggerated and energetic emotions. The musical is told from a child’s perspective, which means that there is plenty of imagination and silliness, most notably in the cinema-inspired recreations of emotions and Zara Nunn and Lily Dyble’s songs.
Something for all the family
The production is aimed at 3+ years and consequently the tone and humour is very much aimed towards young children. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see so many popular culture references and star-themed puns that adults would appreciate, making this a children’s show that will please the whole family. It takes a little while to get used to adults taking on such young roles and voices, but once you get past this, you can’t help but sit back and enjoy this sparkling story about friendship.
Creative scene transitions
The entire production is performed by three actors and they are responsible for moving the set pieces between scenes. The creative team have taken an innovative approach to the transitions, lowering the stage lights, utilising colourful lighting effects and pre recording amusing voice-overs to ensure the audience are entertained. Girl and Star effectively ‘sneak around’ the house during these moments, out of sight of Girl’s Dad (Tom Benjamin) and the audience as they reposition the staging for the next part of the story.
Another fantastic original musical from the Marlowe
‘My Pet Star’ is a delightful musical for families, featuring a moving underlying message and some brilliantly funny songs. Actor-musician Tom Benjamin moves between the roles of Dad and Pianist with ease, highlighting the talent of the performers on stage. The new musical is playing in the Marlowe Theatre Studio until 4th January, with tickets available via the theatre’s website.
Thanks for reading my blog today.
Love Kat xxxx
*My ticket for ‘My Pet Star’ was gifted in exchange for a review.
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