★★★★☆
I walk past the Unicorn Theatre (the UK’s leading theatre for young audiences) every day on my way to the office, where I am very privileged to work in children’s book publishing, marketing fantastic picture books. Thus, when the chance to review The Unicorn’s new stage adaptation of Alexis Deacon’s critically acclaimed picture book Beegu came up, I was VERY excited. I’ve always been intrigued by stage adaptations of kids’ books due to the very different mediums – how can a staged performance communicate the intricacies of an illustrators artwork and the writers’ teachings? It is fair to say that Beegu executes this act of adaptation from page to stage fantastically, staying loyal to Deacon’s work.
Beegu follows a yellow alien with three eyes and two antennae who is lost on earth after her spaceship crashes. She can’t find her parents so she wanders off to find some help, some friends. However, the bustling and hustling humans of Earth are not so kind to Beegu.
Based on Alexis Deacon’s much-loved picture book that was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal, this stage adaptation is written and directed by Debbie Hannan (with assistant direction by Amy Crighton) and has a small but very talented cast of four (Emma MacLennan, Lucy Harvard, Lawrence Hodgson-Mullings and Aryana Ramkhalawon).
The charming, child-friendly design is by Amy Chan, with the adorable puppets designed by Jonathan Saville. Lighting and AV design come from Will Monks, and compositions and sound design are by Deanna H Choi; both masterfully bring this magical story to life.
When staging a production for 3-5 year olds, you have the struggle of maintaining little ones’ attention. Beegu understands how to do this well: a projected face on a hanging moon greets the audience as they arrive in the theatre. Cleverly done, the angst of kids waiting for the show to start is removed as they are mesmerised by the moon. Throughout the show, there is also frequent audience interaction: the actors encourage the kids to shout at the stage various times, mimicking the energy of a panto, and there’s even a meet and greet with Beegu during which a roaming mic goes around the seats, encouraging kids to introduce themselves to the alien. It’s fun, quirky and very wholesome as after seeing Beegu fail to make any meaningful connections elsewhere, we get to become Beegu’s friends.
Praise must also be given to the puppeteers (and Movement and Puppetry Director Laura Cubitt), with the stand-out being the actress behind Beegu: Emma MacLennan. MacLennan is effortless in her movement of Beegu, showing the audience exactly what Beegu is feeling without using words. The antennae of Beegu also become their own character with the other three cast members moving these in tandem with MacLennan’s movement of Beegu’s body. There is thought and precision with every single movement so the actors don’t crash into each other – I was truly taken aback by the magic of the choreography.
While Beegu is perfect for kids, it doesn’t forget that there are parents in the audience. For me, I found myself laughing out loud at the montage of Beegu in London. Beegu navigates the crowded commuter tubes, she’s mistaken for a balloon, and she even finds herself in the back of an Uber Eats bag.
But at the heart of the show is the gentle message of the importance of inclusion and welcoming those who may seem a little different. Beegu befriends three children in the school playground, and rather than rejecting Beegu because they don’t understand her like everyone else has, we see these three kids try to understand her language, where she’s from and what her story is. Beegu finds happiness and empathy in these kids who become her found family. It’s extremely heart-warming and rewarding to watch.
My only criticism of the show would be that for a production that runs at 50 minutes long, the story does feel a little drawn out at times. The 10ft teacher was also a little jarring, and I really didn’t find any humour in the puppy dance number, but the kids around me did laugh a lot, and that’s all that really matters!
I thoroughly recommend Beegu to any families who are looking to keep the kiddos busy for the remainder of Easter half-term, and if you’re not the target audience (I’m certainly not!), don’t disregard Beegu. This children’s production made me feel warm and cosy inside on a lovely Thursday morning, and if I had to sum it up with one word, that word would be wholesome.
Beegu runs at the Unicorn Theatre until May 4th.
Photo: Tristram Kenton
JADAR 