The Snail and the Whale, York Theatre Royal, July 2021

There can’t be many families that don’t have at least one Julia Donaldson book on their shelves, I know that we certainly have most of them! Through engaging storytelling, relatable characters and the wonderful illustrations by Axel Scheffler, they’ve become classics loved by many.

Like Zog, The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom and many others, The Snail and the Whale has been adapted for the stage and is currently touring the UK. Founded in 1997, Tall Stories have brought the story to life, and we went to see it with our two boys aged four and seven.

We’re big fans of the book and animated adaptation here at the Hatter household, and I wondered how the team would develop the short story into a full production. Beyond the original narrative, the show focuses on a dad going off to sea, and the relationship with his daughter at home. The plot jumps between the joy of being able to play together at home, and video calls from overseas that helped moved the action along.

We had seen other Julia Donaldson adaptations which had only focused on the main story as written, so it was interesting to see this story told through the lens of another. It worked well, and led to some moments that really tugged on the heartstrings, including an unexpectedly poignant ending.

Fiddler on the Stage

A talented cast of three performers tell the tale through play, song and gentle comedy. The action is underscored with a violin throughout, used for music but also lots of clever sound effects and incidental moments. Seagulls, whale calls and the Skype music were particular highlights! This use of live music really helped to lift the show and draw the audience in.

Each performer knew how to connect with the young audience, and children will relate to all the childhood games, silliness and the desperation for a later bedtime!

Whale of a Time

The staging was particularly inventive; I won’t spoil how the whale took shape but let’s just say it was a clever surprise. The parts of the whale also became other things; from a bed and cave to the base of a volcano. In the girl’s bedroom, a round window became a porthole, message board and a screen for some shark shadow-play a la Jaws! This reminded me of the way that the children play imaginatively, turning everyday objects into wondrous things to explore new and exciting worlds.

Snails took the form of soft toys and wooden ornaments, accompanied with a satisfying squelch on the violin!

A Snail’s Pace

Generally, the show had a gentle pace which was ideal for younger audience members. That isn’t to say it was ever boring or dull, but rather that it felt crafted to develop slowly. There were occasional high-energy moments though, including a brilliant penguin sequence which involved the whole audience. A game of hide-and-seek between the girl and her dad had the children screaming and shouting.

Later, an interactive classroom scene encouraged children to shout out the answers too, which they enthusiastically did! Kids being kids, they would also call out at other less interactive points – and it was refreshing to see the actors still acknowledge them and thank them for the input.

At points there were songs to join in with, but it felt like there was some uncertainty about whether we could sing after all this time. For so long, we have been told we cannot sing at concerts and performances, and I was unsure of the current stance on this. On that note, the experience generally felt Covid-safe with masks required, track and trace details and temperatures taken and audiences still sat in separate bubbles.

At just under an hour, the running time was ideal for even the youngest audience members. At our 4.30pm performance, there were many toddlers and only the occasional moments of restlessness.

Our four-year-old was transfixed, and our seven-year-old didn’t seem too old for it but didn’t join in quite as readily. A moment of toilet-humour relating to ripped trousers and an exposed bottom (suggested, obviously not seen) was a highlight for our eldest!

Tall Stories have taken a simple, short and endearing tale and turned it into a heartwarming and enjoyable show to delight young fans. With tickets from £13.50, it’s not too much to ‘shell’ out on!

MAGIC RATING