Jacksons Lane (studio)
13 December 2024 (released)
2 d
This was a wonderful show, following a sweet story (based on Tove Jansson’s classic tale The Fir Tree) - the Moomin family are woken up to be told they are late for Christmas as nothing is ready, but what is Christmas? We follow them as they set about finding out what Christmas is.
The set was beautifully designed and delicate, with animated projections of bold typography, snow falling, and the cartoon impact shapes from snowballs being thrown. These elements all felt very true to Tove Jansson’s original illustrations and helped tell the story. At some points during the show the Moomin house became transparent, giving it a cosy, warm glow and the whole set a festive atmosphere.
The Moomins were human-sized puppets, comprising of full body suits with eyes that moved. The actors held the puppet head with one hand the whole time, leaving the other hand free for expression. Through their clever movements and the animatronic eyes they had an impressive range of expressions.
We were expecting a beautiful set and wonderful puppets, we weren’t expecting incredible circus performers! The acrobatics and cleverly choreographed circus tricks were a joy to watch, the 5-year-old was gasping in awe.
The show seamlessly blends modern circus tricks with music, festive drama, and the wholesome family values at the heart of Jansson’s Moomin world. I asked our 5-year-old what his favourite part of the show was as we were leaving and he said “All of it”. Ok, but if you had to choose one bit what would it be... “Christmas!!” The story extolls the real values of Christmas, kindness and sharing, and I think this definitely sunk in for him. Jansson wrote her first Moomin stories immediately after WWII, the first books deal with families struggling in the aftermath of disaster, the Moomin family represented a different type of blended family, tolerant of diversity and kind to outsiders.
The world could definitely do with more Moomin values being spread right now and this show is the prefect vehicle for that. It’s a thoroughly magical feel-good show for kids and adults alike.
Photo credit: Alex Walton
