Dream Space kids review: Whimsical journey
Bubbles, puppets and playful adventures make this immersive show a delight for children and the young-at-heart
Immersive from the get-go, Dream Space is a wonderful and welcome reprieve from the over-stimulation of some children’s entertainment. The combination of puppetry and silliness makes for a stellar show for younger, older and fully-grown children alike.
As you enter, five performers greet you with goofy faces and a cloud of bubbles (and who doesn’t love bubbles?), setting the mood for the fun ahead. They make great use of physical comedy, with huge levels of vigour and commitment. Together, we travel through imaginative scenes: a medieval village, a deserted island and an underwater seascape, learning lessons about perseverance and the true value of the gold standard along the way. The puppeteers are skilful, and the puppets themselves are beautifully designed, particularly the majestic whales in the final scene (they're on the poster for good reason) who deliver simple lessons about accepting help and vulnerability.
Occasionally, the children’s attention spans get the better of them, and some of the stories may have been lost on some of the younger audience members, but the deserted island sketch was a clear stand-out, expertly executed by the puppeteers who are silly and expressive in all the right ways. Dream Space delivers a delightfully wholesome performance with everything gained and nothing lost, guaranteed to fulfil the childlike wonder often lacking in this day and age.
Dream Space continues at The Lark at Gluttony until March 1.