Review: The Cat in the Hat at The Turbine Theatre for a lively family show

Last week I made a first trip to the new development around Battersea Power Station and ended up calling Daddy T to say how much I liked it there. I loved the smart grocery shop, which even had some cool food gift items; the charming flower shop; the convenience of easy parking; and–the reason we were there–a new, intimate theatre venue with an entertaining production for children.

We had been invited to review the stage adaptation of Dr Seuss children’s book The Cat in the Hat at Battersea’s new The Turbine Theatre, which is only a short walk from Battersea Park or Chelsea Bridge. The Cat in the Hat was originally produced by National Theatre and brings the popular children’s book to life in a show adapted by Katie Mitchell and directed by Lillie Collier.

The show, recommended for ages three and over, tells the story about Sally and her brother who are bored at home on a rainy day when mum is out. They suddenly have an unexpected visit from a cat wearing a tall, stripy hat, and the cat has plenty of ideas for fun and chaotic games, such as ball games, scooting indoors or balancing furniture and ornaments. When the high-energy duo Thing 1 and Thing 2 join in too, the house is getting increasingly messy, and before mum is due to return home, Sally starts worrying about tidying up.

During the fast-paced show, we were delighted when bubbles –and not rain–came pouring down from the ceiling, and we had fun trying to catch giant, inflatable balls thrown out to the audience.

On several occasions, my four-year-old plus one had a giggle–typically because of the unique cat. I think children will enjoy seeing the cat breaking common rules and playing wild games on stage–imaginative games that would have a clear entertainment-value to children, but many would recognise might not be allowed to do indoors at home.

In my view, the madness on stage also means it’s easy to forget the few sounds from trains passing above the theatre at times. This is a short, lively production with a storyline that makes it particularly entertaining, and staging that will remind theatre-goers of the illustrations in the picture book. With a 50-minute running time, I think it can make for an ideal theatre-outing for local families with young children.

The Cat in the Hat is playing at The Turbine Theatre until 11 January 2020.

Photos by Garry Lake

Tags: Dr Seuss, The Cat in the Hat