By David Jobling
I think the number one reason Cartoooon!! is such a brilliant family show is the natural clowning skills of the two characters, Daiki and Cheeky. By offering a mostly nonverbal, but very interactive story, they’ve landed on a winning format.
When some productions aimed at the ‘whole family’ attempt to sell a complicated message, it immediately becomes problematic. Younger kids don’t really respond to a lot of messaging, they just don’t understand it yet. Attempt to engage preschoolers with too much story, sub-plots and ‘teaching moments’ and their interest level drops.
Simplicity is key, and Cartoooon!! is cunningly simple. Daiki and Cheeky present themselves without much developed language, plus their emotional reactions to visible blocks in the flow of the moment makes it easily understood from the first entrance to the final bow.
Surprising for some how much emotional depth this type of storytelling can garner. The youngest grandchild of three is just as engaged in the character journey as the thirty-something parent. The laughter is genuine for both.
The acrobatic skills Daiki and Cheeky exhibit are excellent. Two performers riding a unicycle in a confined area presents awesome visual moments, lots of laughs and relatable action. I could see my grandchildren become more invested in the performance as the danger elements increased. When Daiki said he felt scared of climbing a three-meter-tall unicycle, my five-, seven- and ten-year-olds all nodded in agreement and braced themselves, so did their parents.
The educational value of Cartoooon!! comes from the empathy and engagement it solicits from the whole audience. I loved it, and I loved the lasting impression it made on the whole family. They’re all keen to try riding a unicycle now. Five family friendly stars.
Cartoooon!! is on at The Lab at Fool’s Paradise until 16 March.
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