Review: MOG THE FORGETFUL CAT, Belgrade Theatre Coventry - Tour
Photo credit: Paul Blakemore
The Wardrobe Ensemble, The Old Vic and Northampton’s Royal & Derngate have created the first stage adaptation of Judith Kerr’s much loved children’s book, Mog the Forgetful Cat, which is currently playing at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry this May half term.
Like her other hugely successful picture book The Tiger Who Came To Tea, we’d imagine that a Mog story can be found in the majority of children’s book collections so whittling the stage show down to a succinct hour-long stage show must have been no mean feat for the creative team, but is one that is brilliantly executed.
Mog may be a troublesome cat but enjoys plenty of adventures in this piece, including ‘catching’ a burglar, winning first prize at the cat show (with a visit to the V.E.T in between), and even winning over patriarch of the family, Mr Thomas, in the end. Mog, played flawlessly by Georgina Goodchild, navigates Laura McEwen’s multi level domestic setting with a proudly sauntering physicality, much like our feline friends at home. Goodchild may not have any lines in the show, barring the occasional miaow, but her intent is more than clear. The set also effectively helps portray the different seasons with the aid of props and lighting (designed by Rajiv Pattani), and we greatly enjoyed the dual costuming during the V.E.T. sequence.
Helena Middleton and Jesse Jones’ direction is on the money and demonstrates that childrens’ theatre can still be clever and is not a diluted version of our beloved artform. The fluidity of the content is ever moving and well paced; the only tweak we’d like to see is some of the entrances and exits to the house from the wings and vice versa being a little more discrete to suspend a little more disbelief…not that the kids would have cared about this!
Joey Hickman’s composition fits perfectly within the context of the play, with some nice little earworms to take away with you after you’ve left the theatre. The music is played live by cast member Max Gallagher who also doubles up as a couple of the characters Mog encounters.
This is very much a team effort with many of the cast rarely off stage for the show’s duration, but Tom England in particular must be commended for his seamless interactions with the audience at points and truly setting the scene at the top of the show.
Warm, enjoyable family fun.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Jenny Ell
Mog the Forgetful Cat is playing at Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre until 4 June and continues to tour until August. For more information, please click here.
