If you are looking for a show for all the family this Christmas, look no further. Magical Night is a heart-warming production of dance-theatre in which one night a host of toys come to life. Along with two children, the lovable Chimpy the monkey, Sir Green Knight, baby Tumble Tot, Fire Flame and Mighty Robot have a great adventure.
Magical Night is set to the recently found Kurt Weill score that was believed lost during World War Two. The discovery of original parts of the piece in a Yale University vault in 2005 has led to the creation of a new edition of the score for our enjoyment. With its British debut at the Linbury Studio Theatre, the music is a wonderful part of the performance and adds to the magical atmosphere.
A standout performer was Thomasin Gulgec, who plays Chimpy. He performed with energy and commitment. Literally leaping and jumping off the set, Gulgec’s movements were very animalistic and his characterisation of a simian primate was excellent. One moment he would be scratching his head, and the next he would have flipped backwards on one hand. The audience was always drawn to him, even when he was not centre stage; the sight of a monkey playing with a girl’s sticker book whilst wearing a pink bicycle helmet is guaranteed to make anyone smile.
When one of the children, Megan (performed by Nicole Clachar), draws a terrifying witch, the toys’ night takes a turn for the worse as she comes to life and begins to wreak havoc. This is a particularly amusing scene where Sarah Good the Witch tries to cook ‘boy and apple pie’.
For those of you worried about sitting through a kids' production, Magical Night has plenty of entertainment for its older audience members. One example was the surprise appearance from the footballers Tevez, Walcott and Pique, who were brought to life from football cards. Tevez, however, was very disinterested, and decided to sit down throughout their warm-up. Magical Night was surprising funny. I also think it is good to note that the show is only an hour long, so everyone can be tucked up in bed in no time at all.
Despite a rather out-of-place operatic interlude near the beginning of the show, there are plenty of laughs and excitement to keep the whole family entertained. This is a great choice for an evening out. If this is anything to go by, the little boy next to me couldn’t stop laughing, and the seven year old to my right thought ‘the costumes were amazing and the show was absolutely hilarious!’ Magical Night’s most important critics have spoken.
