Little Angel Theatre's Miniature Travelling Circus review – tiny treats for tots

The Guardian

28-03-2025

Roll up, roll up! Abracadabra! There's barely a trad circus trick missed in this one-woman puppet show, first seen in 2022, with its red and gold trimmings, accordions a-go-go and Tardis-like top hat. That vintage vibe, perfectly suiting the atmospheric Little Angel, includes the performing animals introduced by George the ringmaster (Lizzie Wort, who co-wrote and devised with director Miranda Pitcher).
We behold lions, tigers and monkeys that George says – a little too nostalgically – once did stunts with the show. They have been replaced by jumping fleas and playful mice although this reformed spectacle with pet-friendlier tricks rather queers its pitch by then including bunnies who apparently ride bikes. The big finale is a canine spin on a Savitsky Cats-style routine.
Aimed at children aged two to five, it's a jaunty, 45-minute whirl boosted by some lively rhymes, Wort's warm approach (matched by Sherry Coenen's lighting) and a bouncy score from Julian Butler. Neither this circus's hazy backstory nor the trifling plot pull you in: it's about the carousel of acts, most featuring attractive puppets designed by Lyndie Wright (including a cheery clown) and some involving participation from the audience. Wort does particularly well with one young volunteer who appears to have second thoughts when in the spotlight.
The attention to detail impresses: a ruffing dog wearing a ruff, the sparkly eyed Miss Scratchy Cat with a luxuriously fluffed-up tail, a stamped addressed envelope handed to an audience member with a flea in their hair, for them to return the insect at their leisure. Some of the designs are too teeny to fully appreciate, at least from my row, but there is a marvellous big top that pops up inside a book, designed by Vicki Fullick, and a carefully strung thread of mini-bunting. Pitcher's set and costume design have a bygone charm and, while it lacks a real wow moment, this whimsical show has plenty of nice touches.
At the Little Angel theatre, London, until 19 April