In light of children’s television becoming such big business in recent years, it is hardly a surprise that a few old favourites have been dug out of the archives and rebranded. The charm of this show though is that essentially the characters of Sooty, Sweep and Soo are the same as they ever were, providing a treat for new fans and a dose of nostalgia for their parents.
Sooty is off to space to discover if there really is life on Mars, but when events at Mission Control go awry, it is not just the little bear who ends up dodging meteors and Martians. Richard Cadell, who succeeded Matthew Corbett as Sooty’s partner in 2000, has the unenviable task of keeping up with the puppets’ antics, as well a whole host of props that appear to have a life of their own. Even flying a flag on Mars does not turn out to be straightforward, luckily Cadell has the experience and sense of humour to ad-lib through the chaos.
In fact, the whole show jollies along nicely, boosted by sweet musical interludes (created by Dave Corbett), plenty of audience participation and a popular 3-D UV opening to Act II. It was only the character of Harry the Robot that appeared to divide the young audience, some of whom were genuinely nervous every time he spoke. Toning down his over-amplified voice might be a good tip for future performances on the tour.
Production information can change over the run of the show.
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