A Spellbinding Stage Adaptation for Young Adventurers
A dazzling new stage production is captivating young audiences at London's Polka theatre, bringing Philip Pullman's beloved fairytale, The Firework-Maker's Daughter, to life with immense creativity and energy. This adaptation, specifically crafted for children aged six to twelve, has been hailed as both epic and intimately spellbinding, proving that even the most fantastical stories can find a home on the stage.
An Imaginative Quest Brought to Life
The story follows the determined Lila, who dreams of following in her father's footsteps to become a master firework-maker. When her father is tricked into revealing the final secret of the craft—retrieving Royal Sulphur from a fire fiend atop a volcano—Lila rockets off on a perilous adventure. Her journey takes her through jungles and past bumbling pirates, while her friend Chulak and the king's loud white elephant, Hamlet, set off on their own mission to find protective water for her.
Director Lee Lyford's production tackles this complex narrative with buckets of imagination. The creative team employs a bulging toolbox of theatrical tricks to realise Pullman's vivid world. Anisha Fields' simple set design transforms seamlessly from a workshop into a river, a jungle, and a volcano, often using charmingly lo-fi elements like a cardboard-box rockslide.
The magic of fireworks is conjured beautifully with unfurling cocktail umbrellas and tiny lights dancing on performers' fingertips. The grand finale, a firework competition, is described as extravagantly breathtaking, a visual treat that the review refuses to spoil.
A Feast of Puppetry and Performance
Audiences are treated to excellent puppetry throughout the show. The hulking elephant, Hamlet, is a particular standout, controlled by two cast members from within. Intricate shadow puppets parade across a lampshade, adding another layer of visual wonder. One young theatre-goer, seven-year-old Artie, was so enthralled he insisted it be noted that the spectacle was "amazing".
The five-strong cast handles the technical demands with energetic ease. Tika Mu'tamir plays a pleasingly plucky Lila, while the other performers, including Jules Chan as the cheeky Chulak and Rose-Marie Christian in multiple delightful roles, switch characters with impressive versatility. Artie's favourite scene featured the useless pirates rowing themselves in circles, a moment where Jude Christian's adaptation injects gleeful silliness into Pullman's rich language.
The production is not without its minor perils. Jonathan Chan's lighting and Elena Peña's sound design create a genuine sense of danger when Lila confronts the fire fiend. The combination of red lights, smoke, crackling sounds, and a rumbling voiceover was so effective that young Artie suggested raising the minimum age guidance to nine.
While the setup of Lila's quest could be slightly clearer and the final lessons in love and risk-taking might benefit from more exploration, these are minor points in a show packed with so much fun. The ultimate verdict comes from the children themselves: Artie left the theatre creating fireworks with his fingers, practising the actors' "mouth noises," and already planning his own explosive future career.
The Firework-Maker's Daughter continues its run at the Polka theatre in London until 18 January.
