Yesterday (Sunday 23rd December) the Smallhousebigtrips household were invited along to watch Emily Brown and The Thing at Birmingham Hippodrome in the Patrick Studio.
We were excited and could not wait. Last year we had been to see the Tall Stories Production of The Snow Dragon, which we had absolutely LOVED (we still talk about this play now as it remains a firm favourite of Matildas) and knowing that the same Artistic Directors (Olivia Jacobs and Toby Mitchell) and Producer (Lucy Wood) were behind this years production, we kept our hopes, high, of the show being fantastic.
On stage we had a new cast to the ones used for The Snow Dragon but they were equally as talented. My favourite being Sam Buitekant who played The Thing with his fantastic mannerisms and sound effects.
So, what is Emily Brown and the Thing about?
The story (aimed at ages 3+ and lasts 55 minutes) is about how everyone gets scared sometimes, whether you’re a little girl/boy, a Thing or a rabbit. Being scared isn’t a bad thing, it stops us sometimes getting into danger. And all those fears that people have, can be conquered with the right people around us.
Emily Brown (played by Sophie Alice) has her cuddle bunny, Stanley (Jordan Turner) and they go everywhere together. One night when trying to sleep, they hear a noise and discover the Thing. He asks for lots of different things and Emily Brown and Stanley go off on adventures to find the items that the Thing needs to be able to go to sleep (and let Emily Brown sleep too). They have to find his blanket (called “my cuddly” ), some milk and a green magical potion for his tickly cough from the witch who lived in the basement. After each item, Emily Brown tries to go to sleep but gets awoken by the Thing crying. Eventually when he asks for the fourth item, Emily Brown asks him what is really the matter. What is the Thing really scared of?
Emily Brown and the Thing is a great play, based on the book by Cressida Cowell and Neal Layton.
It is full of giggles, sentimental moments, songs (Jon Fiber & Andy Shaw) and choreography (Morag Cross and Luanna Priestman). And you are guaranteed to leave the show with a smile on your face.
The Tall Stories Production team have dedicated the show to everyone who has ever been a little bit scared of something and I’m pretty sure, that’s everyone in the audience.
You see, Things come in all shapes and sizes. Here are Matildas and Jemimas versions of their Things.
Emily Brown and the Thing is at Birmingham Hippodrome until 6th January 2019 and tickets are just £12.50 each. Please pop onto the Hippodromes website here to book tickets: https://www.birminghamhippodrome.com/calendar/tall-stories-emily-brown-and-the-thing/
Next stop for this fantastic show is New York before embarking on a North American Tour. You won’t want to miss this show.
Nb. Do bring along some cash for merchandise. They were selling a number of Emily Brown books for £6.99 and the new hardback book for £12.99 and you could get sweets too.
We also bumped into the lovely Momma Mack whilst there, so do check their website out for more reviews of local days out and events.
Thank you Tall Stories for yet another wonderful production.
Disclaimer: We were invited along by Birmingham Hippodrome to see the show. All thoughts are our own. Photos with no photo credit attached are provided via Birmingham Hippodrome.