Tag Archives: Polka Theatre

Child of the Divide

Polka Theatre, London (and on tour) ****

© Katherine Leedale, Diljohn Singh as Manohar, Pali's father, Karan Gill as Pali, Devesh Kishore as Shakur

© Katherine Leedale, Diljohn Singh as Manohar, Pali’s father, Karan Gill as Pali, Devesh Kishore as Shakur. Divided loyalties and identity, divided by a border…

Partition, seventy years on and perhaps only now, to a completely different generation, is the full horror of that appalling event becoming apparent and felt by audiences beyond the Indian diaspora. Continue reading

How to Hide a Lion

Polka Children’s Theatre, Wimbledon (****)

© Richard Davenport for The Other Richard, Iris and friend, Lion.

© Richard Davenport for The Other Richard, Iris and friend, Lion.

Adaptor director Peter Glanville was artistic director at Little Angel puppet theatre for eight years and it shows in this delightful, imaginative adaptation of the book by Helen Stephens of a lion chased from a town who finds friendship with a little girl called Iris. Continue reading

Beasty Baby

Polka Theatre, London (***)

© Robert Workman

© Robert Workman

Sue Buckmaster is something of a doyenne when it comes to the British puppet world and Theatre-Rites, the company she set up in 1996, coincided with her also starting her own family. Her work for them – 22 shows and counting – has reflected much of her experience juggling her career as a theatre director and puppeteer with bringing up a family. Continue reading