Because half-term cannot surely be all about Halloween, a trip to London‘s Southbank Centre is scheduled for a stage adaptation of Elmer, the patchwork-coloured elephant with the iconic square pattern: The London Literature Festival is back! And because I do not dare reviewing a kids’ show without children in the age range of the target audience, I have two primary schoolers with me (who can spot Elmer and his animal friends on every single page of the big hardcover of the Elmer search book). “No, I promise, it will not be scary.” “Yes, if there is fire or thunder it will only be pretend fire. Or pretend thunder. In theatre everything is pretend. That is the wonderful magic about it.”
And because the world is sometimes a village, an old neighbour is also here with her boys for whom this will be the very first theatre visit. Before arrival at our seats, we have taken the singing lift in the institution’s major building next door up and down, cooked Alphabet Soup with giant print-out letters and enjoyed and shared some massive cookies from the cafeteria.
On arrival at the Queen Elizabeth Hall we keenly observe the jungle set-up on stage and listen to the sound landscape – was that a rattlesnake? Some assurance is needed: “It is only pretend.” “Yes, you can hide under your coat when it gets too scary.” And not to be forgotten: “Yes, I am pretty pretty sure there will be a happy ending.”
Three actors arrive and begin the show with some beautiful executed songs; apparently the National Geographic published something along Elmer, the colourful elephant possibly existing, and now they are taking an exploration to try and find him and to prove that he really exists. Swapping waistcoats in patterns and palettes of David McKee’s Elmer universe (the initial book was first published in 1989 and has since then become a child book classic, kindergarten staple and international franchise), they tell anecdotes familiar to little Elmer fans and everyone else in the vast, very busy auditorium. But other than a fluffy toy in the very beginning and a pale idea of a multicoloured trunk, there is still no Elmer. No one is waiting for yet another song to be sung about Elmar; the kids are now desperate to see Elmer. And they utter this: “When is Elmer coming?” and “So this is not a real guitar, only a pretend guitar?” and “Does she only pretends to be in a wheelchair?” and “In how many episodes of Bluey can we go to the carousel?” and “Can I sleep on my seat until Elmer comes?” Ouch.
The appearance of giant balloons, the singing of Happy Birthday and definitely sitting close enough to the stage to get splashed by water pistols gets their attention back but it does not seem that they get much of the abstract waistcoat storytelling in the first half. And Elmar has still not made an appearance. They recognise the patchwork teddy, the blue bird marionette who has a single scene (“find him on every page”) but even the crocodile is a simple anorak and not remembered afterwards by the four children of our group. The three year old dances along at some point, the others are still waiting. Finally, finally, finally Elmar appears and with a big collective gasp trunks are mimicked, puppetry and human legs are being counted aloud, and a sea of big hands waves towards the stage. And then, after one scene, one little dream sequence, Elmar the elephant leaves again. He won’t come back. Southbank‘s merry-go-round next, half-term is not over yet. One day after we are in the library and bring Elmer’s Birthday and also Elmer And The Flood back. Elmer appears on every page – what a relief!
*** out of 5 stars
The Elmer Adventure by Tall Stories (based on the children’s books by David McKee) runs at the Southbank Centre until 3 November as well as the London Literature Festival.
Tickets from £16
Sadie takes the Stage 