REVIEW

SNOW WHITE: THE RETURN OF LITTLE THINGS

PIDDLEHINTON SCHOOL

WHEN I saw a puppet show inspired by steampunk advertised, I knew we had to go.

Snow White: The Return of Little Things lived up to our expectations, and inspired some truly fantastic, beautiful, terrifying and extraordinary puppet creations from the youngsters who attended the workshop.

James Richardson and Dave Oliver wove a magic spell over everyone from toddlers to senior citizens at Piddlehinton School.

There’s always something pretty magical about puppetry, but their mastery of the art meant that they could appear in full view and still make the audience feel the puppets were alive, and the story was real.

James and Dave’s ‘Puppetorium' before the show offered kids the chance to make their own puppets from recycled materials. The pair were on hand with advice and a hot glue gun to ensure creations didn’t fall apart, and the school hall was abuzz with creative youngsters producing some amazing puppets.

A quick scene change later, the lights went up on a stunning show, which mesmerised everyone in the room. James and Dave characterised their wood and metal charges with such breadth and moved the story on with such pace, creating a show that will stick in the memory for long afterwards.

The show was brought to the area by Artsreach, the charity dedicated to bringing quality live theatre, music, dance and family shows to Dorset’s far-flung villages. To see what’s coming up, go to artsreach.co.uk

For information on the puppeteers go to angelhearttheatre.com

MIRANDA ROBERTSON