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REVIEW: The Tin Foil Astronaut @ Arc Stockton

Posted on February 8th 2018 by Whats on Northeast

Review by Andrew Bramfitt

Every journey begins the same way, with the 1^st step.

It was a cold & wet Saturday morning, a room filled with over 35 children aged between 2 and 8 and some anxious parents wondering just how soon it will be before anarchy breaks out yet from the very first minute until well after the final scene, every child and grown up was transfixed by the brilliant storytelling, wonderful characters and no small amount of very interesting science.

The Tin Foil Astronaut is an immersive, interactive and totally engaging play about Alba, a wannabee astronaut who, through ingenuity, imagination ( and plenty of tin foil) becomes the youngest person to travel to the furthest reaches of the Solar System.  Alba, helped remotely by her Dad and guided by the Man in the Moon, overcomes the barriers of the kids at school thinking she’s a bit weird, ignores the grown ups telling her she’s too small and, despite being late for her tea (fish fingers and beans, her favourite) joins the space race.

Kitchen Zoo (founded by Hannah Goudie and Bob Nicholson and supported by the brilliant music of Jeremy Bradfield)  state they ‘aim to create work for young audiences that is playful and vibrant’ and they hit the nail square on it’s bonce with this one. Blending live music, sound effects and puppets with real science, the 3 hand cast transport the audience into a make believe world which who knows,  could be just the thing to encourage a young person out there to become the next Brian Cox or Helen Czerski.

If you have any little ones who love space, science or just great storytelling, treat them (and yourselves) to an hour of fun and facts that will leave you all talking for ages afterwards.

★★★★ and a big 🌛

The Tin Foil Astronaut will be landing at these places

• 10 February: Arts Centre Washington
• 12 April: Bishop Auckland Town Hall
• 13 April: Queens Hall Hexham
• 14 April: The Witham
• 15 April: Gala Durham
• 22 April: Sage, Gateshead
• 5 May: Lyric, Hammersmith

 

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