Little Red Riding Hood

Published Friday 14 December 2007 at 15:10 by Kevin Berry

The Wolf is on trial and the audience is the jury. Judge Fudge is presiding and we get to vote when Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf have given their evidence.

Nick Lane’s play is enjoying a merited revival at Hull Truck. It has pace, vigour and wild, energetic humour and its appeal knows no age barriers. Marc Bolton plays the Wolf with an air of innocent mischief, a loveable rogue who just might tie the jury’s vote. Amy Thompson is a demure but not too prissy Little Red Riding Hood. They both, somehow, take turns in playing Red Riding Hood’s father and they even get to play each other’s main roles. Red Riding Hood’s forgetful father has named his entire family after items of clothing. That is a measure of how blissfully funny the play is.

When Bolton, as the grandma, sings a rap I’m a Mad, Bad Granny, he raises the roof. Everyone joins in without being prompted.

Though it shares a stage with Hull Truck Theatre’s evening production, Little Red Riding Hood is not the poor relation. From the staging standpoint, it is given equal footing - something which it deserves.