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Once upon a time… there was a summer seaside show that defied expectations. That show is Fables & Fairytales at Bridlington Spa.
A musical show primarily aimed at families, but with plenty to entertain anyone who enjoys song and story-telling, Fables & Fairytales takes a host of stories and songs, some original, some borrowed, most reframed in surprising ways, and weaves them together to create a show bursting with talent and wit. There’s more than a nod (and in one scene, a complete steal) from ‘Into the Woods’ in how the show blends the different stories and if that crafty magpie approach took your fancy you won’t be disappointed here. Cinderella, Jack & the Beanstalk and Little Red Riding Hood all feature alongside lots of other fairytales, plus a reputedly local tall tale about the town’s battle against a giant lobster.
It’s when the show takes the biggest liberties that it really comes alive – a very funny ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ pastiche with a hilarious ‘Claudia’ is used to retell Cinderella, and Aesop’s fables come as a vaudeville act with a few knowing jokes aimed at the adults. There’s also a wide range of staging in which puppets and shadow theatre keep things zippy alongside more traditional narration and musical presentation. This mix is particularly suited to the youngest in the audience but also contributes to the general sense of fun. There are also some nicely judged moments of darkness that reminds us how gristly some of these stories originally were.
Each of the cast is given chance to shine in solo numbers or duets that demonstrate the West-End and touring credentials of the performers. A song that blends the perhaps inevitable ‘Let It Go’ with other big showstoppers has my four year old and plenty other young girls in the audience singing out loud, and believe it or not, even this most overplayed Disney hit of the moment becomes a thrilling experience. The cast also perform beautifully as an ensemble whilst each retaining a distinct personality – it’s testament to the quality of the company that there’s no weak link here. Add to that a very capable live band and accomplished performances by the young Collete Tyler Dancers and you have a show that really delivers musically.
The staging overall is inventive with some of the witty low-tech ideas – most based around books – making as much impact as the ‘clever’ stuff. My 11 year old son loves the inventiveness as well as some moments of silliness and it’s clear that there are those moments of magic for him that can only happen in a live stage performance. The costumes too are excellent and the cumulative effect is of a high quality production. If there’s one small gripe it’s perhaps that the ‘megamix’ at the end of the show feels like over-egging the pudding and takes the shine off the final number which was a perfectly good end to the show. By this time little eyes are tired and it’s one moment of exuberation that the show and audience collectively can’t quite sustain.
Family entertainment of the best type, Fables and Fairytales delivers the theatrical wonder that the name promises and is playing every Thursday until September 3rd.
