IMAGINE a world where corrupt and fearful politicians forced a unifying greyness on the entire population – a state where everyone wore the same, talked the same, looked the same and lived in fear of breaking the rules.
That’s what’s happened in Greytopia, where her Greynesty has collected all the colour and joy and locked them away.
Happily for Chloe, her grandmother Magenta is having none of this nonsense, and has gathered an underground army of Rainbow Rebels.
Chloe goes to sleep one night, with her grey cat Smoky cuddled up under the grey blanket. Suddenly, when Smoky starts to nuzzle her face and she opens her eyes, she realises that the cat is in fact … YELLOW.
The mere sight of the colour fills Chloe with joy and bubbling excitement, but when she tries to share her feelings with her parents over a grey breakfast, they are terrified and warn her to tell no-one. But excited children just HAVE to talk, and so Chloe tells her teacher, Greyvina, about Smoky’s transformation. The angry teacher orders punishment, and the child’s hand is taken by a machine that controls any semblance of colour.
Granny Magenta to the rescue, and before long the audience is drawn in to hurl coloured balls at the wicked politician and bring colour back into the world.
This delightful family show by Ad Infinitum began its life at Bristol Old Vic before Christmas 2018. Now it is back on tour, and visited Exeter Phoenix before heading up country and to London on a pre-Easter tour.
It has lost none of its delight. For the younger children, aged four and upwards, its all about the brilliant puppetry, the fun of ribbing teacher and the thrill of throwing colours back onto the monochrome stage. For those a little older and their parents it’s a powerful story about the dangers of compulsory sameness.
Beautifully done by multi instrumentalist Brian Hargreaves, Charlotte Dubery as Chloe, Grandma Hanora Kamen and Shamira Turner as dad, Greyvina and others.
Audiences on the rest of the tour are in for a treat.
GP-W