Zog – Rose Theatre, Kingston and Touring

Zog continues at Rose Theatre, Kingston until 23 February 2019, then on tour until 27 July.

Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Whether you’re 7 or 77, when something is done really well age doesn’t come into it, you simply take joy out of its excellence.

Watching Julia Donaldson’s Zog lovingly interpreted on stage with colour, flair and talent, and a handful of new tuneful songs woven into the mix, its effect on young children, all in its thrall, was plain to see on its world premiere at the Rose Kingston.

By the end of its UK tour in Bradford on 27 July, it will have thousands and thousands of children in 41 more towns and cities laughing and falling in love with theatre, as we all were once upon a time. Once hooked, that passion never withers.

At 55 minutes it is a perfect length for holding a child’s attention to the last word of the last song – my guess is that Zog is best suited to the 4-7 age group – but mummies, daddies, grannies and granddaddies will also be royally entertained too. 

The thrilling voice of former PPA Academy student Emily Benjamin as “Princess” Pearl (quite a change from her last part in Bat Out of Hell!) does full justice to the folksy ballads specially written by Johnny Flynn, whose three-month West End stint starring in True West comes to an end this weekend.

Also in terrific form is Shakespearian actor-singer Robert Ginty as Sir Gadabout the Great, the knight who provides Zog’s greatest challenge. His smooth baritone is a pleasure to listen to. The cast are all actor-musicians, equally happy playing guitar, ukulele, accordion or double bass.

Zog, a most likeable professional debut by Elliot MacKenzie, is so eager to win a gold star at school from Madame Dragon (Euan Wilson, nicely and mincingly officious) he bumps, burns and roars his way into the care of nurse Pearl who patches him up ready to face the awesome knight.

Dixie McDevitt is in charge of the sweet puppet rabbits, Cyril the Squirrel also makes an appearance, and Zog, the orange dragon, has mates in pink and blue, all adept at swinging around on Katie Sykes’ frame set.

This is beautiful work by puppet designer Lyndie Wright and the whole confection is in the best of hands with adapter and director Mike Shepherd, founder and artistic director of Kneehigh.

Since being published in 2010, Zog has gone on to be a worldwide best-seller, as ever enhanced by Axel Scheffler’s marvellous illustrations. The show, a joint effort frm Freckle Productions and the Rose, takes the book one artistic stage further and looks bomb-proof. Even this 77-year-old would willingly see it again because it makes you glad to be alive.

Jeremy Chapman