Stick Man Live on Stage!

Given the astounding number of children’s books that are scattered around my house, it’s surprising that Julia Donaldson’s Stick Man isn’t among them. The stage version from Scamp Theatre is my first encounter with the twiggy protagonist, along with his Stick Lady Love and their three stick children.

Poor Stick Man, who only wants to go for a quick jog, finds himself chewed by a dog, pecked by a swan and sent out to sea. If that wasn’t enough, he’s then used as a cricket bat before spending a winter stuck in the snow. Someone very special finally rescues him and reunites him with the rest of the Stick family, who have spent a sad, lonely few months in their sycamore tree.

This is a visually attractive, extremely well performed show – it’s both entertaining and surprisingly moving. I’m only slightly embarrassed to admit to having a tear in my eye at one point. A wonderful piece of family theatre.