On Saturday I took my three year old daughter, Harmony, to Little Angel Theatre’s production of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. Based on the book by Michael Rosen, Little Angel Theatre’s production uses a combination of puppetry, lighting effects and original music to tell the story of a family going on an adventure to look for a bear. The theatre itself is a lovely small space with unassigned seating, so if you want the best seats in the house it’s a good idea to arrive a little bit early. There are ushers inside the theatre who help to get you seated, making sure that the little ones have an unobstructed view and there are booster seats available if needed.

With only four performers involved in the production you would think it would be a hard task to voice so many characters but they manage to give each of the five family members unique and distinct characters and voices as well as giving a voice to the family dog and of course the titular bear towards the end of the story. There are also a variety of other creatures that are encountered on the bear hunt but our favourites were the two ducks when the family reached the river as they were very funny.

The production is highlighted with lots of original songs which enhance each stage of the family’s journey. Sometimes singing A Capella and sometimes accompanied by one of the performers playing the guitar or harp the songs and four part harmonies really helped to create a fantastic atmosphere and drew you into the story, whatever was happening on stage. I was a bit concerned about how the bear would be portrayed and if it would be too scary for Harmony but it was handled fantastically with the right amount of surprise and silliness. The only comment I would make about the production overall was that there were quite a few black outs in which the entire theatre was plunged into darkness which might be a bit unnerving for very little ones who might be afraid of the dark.

The production is billed as being for 3-8 year olds and at a running time of 45mins it was perfect for Harmony as she was engaged and enjoying herself the whole way through. I would say though that it’s just as engaging and entertaining for the adults accompanying the children as it is for the children themselves. Harmony wanted to give the production 10 stars but I would give it a solid 5!

Review by Alex Wharram (and Harmony)

We’re Going on a Bear hunt is running at Little Angle Theatre until 29th January 2023. You can find out more about the show and their other offerings on their website here.

If you like this review you might also like my review of Sleeping Beauty at Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch, Life of Pi and Frozen.