Arnold’s Big Adventure at The Civic Theatre Barnsley Review
Arnold’s Big Adventure
The Civic Theatre, Barnsley
13 September 2015
Reviewed by Carron Charlesworth
There is lots of free parking around Barnsley town centre on a Sunday, and my 4 year old daughter and I managed to get parked really close to the venue with just a short walk to the theatre. The theatre doesn’t have its own car park but to be honest, it doesn’t need it, it is centrally situated and also close to the bus and train stations.
This was our second visit to this lovely theatre, and once again the staff were very friendly and welcoming. There is a well equipped bar, which also includes soft drinks and snacks. My daughter was given an activity sheet with some crayons and this kept her busy until the performance started. As the start time approached we started to queue at the door, unbeknown to us, the show was actually going to come out into the waiting area to start off with – what a brilliant and surprising start!
When we walked into the theatre, we noticed a large canvas tent and we were told by one of the actors to choose a seat inside the tent (children on cushions on the floor, adults on raised seating around the edge).
From the moment the show started, I could see my daughter was transfixed. There were just two actors throughout the whole performance who both took on a variety of roles – they were just brilliant, so creative and engaging with the children (and the adults). The story is about Drop Day, which is when the acorns fall from the trees. Arnold the Acorn falls from the tree but before he is found, he is blown around the world on an adventure. I loved the use of the various props which included a waterfall (yes, a real waterfall in a tent), and the superb use of silhouettes on the outside of the tent. The show was just under an hour in length, which I think was about right for the children.
The show is advertised as suitable for ages 3-10 and I think it was pitched just right. The actors did a brilliant job of making sure that every child was involved in some way.
I would recommend going to see this show. There were 4-5 families there, which included around 8-10 children – this doesn’t sound a lot but I think with the performance being in a tent, these numbers were just right. It made for a really nice, intimate atmosphere which gave all of the children the confidence to partake in what is quite an interactive show.
Rating: 5/5 
For more information and tour dates visit www.tessabide.com/shows/arnolds-big-adventure.
For show at the Civic Theatre in Barnsley visit www.barnsleycivic.co.uk.
The Civic, Hanson Street, Barnsley, S70 2HZ | 01226 327000
