Sooty, Sweep, Soo and a galaxy of intergalactic friends have just entertained Toby aged four with a never-ending array of songs, slapstick, magic, 3D effects, audience participation and a postcard signed by the stars to take home.
300 enthusiastic adults and children enjoyed the show for a well-paced and swift two hour long matinee.
“Let’s play Sooty in Space” were Toby’s first words when we got home after announcing that he needed to see the show again! Toby had never heard of Sooty before this show yet part of the feel-good factor of the performance is in the familiarity of the characters and some of their catch phrases for the parents and grandparents in the audience.
Toby found mischievous Sweep hysterical and was suitably nervous about the space exploration and giant three-legged martian before reassuring me (from the safety of my knee) that “everything is going to be all right ‘cause they’re not going to fit us in that little rocket are they?!”
Richard Cadell is a slick performer. He confidently juggled his role as puppeteer whilst entertaining the children and adults alike. Cadell owns the rights to Sooty and has been presenting the Sooty Show on television for over ten years. As an aside, he explained that Sooty’s rocket was designed 30 years previously by Harry Corbett himself. A nice touch in a show that was clearly designed to appeal in a contemporary way to children of the 21st century with an intelligent robot, Harry, who could speak, take photographs and had a flat screen TV as a stomach, as well as a musical homage to the Star Wars theme tune and a Tardis which transports Dr Sue to space to join Sooty and Sweep.
Sooty may be celebrating his 60th anniversary but there is no reason Sooty and crew can’t go on for many more years to come. Sooty in Space has a simple well-paced storyline, written by former owner Matthew Corbett. It cleverly uses 3D technology and 3D glasses to add to the magic in the space scene, coupled with pyrotechnics, smoke, songs to sing-along-to and four well designed scene changes, the audience were happily swept up by the show.
Sooty in Space would make a fun outing for old and new Sooty fans alike.