Grommels, Children’s Theatre.
Venue: Glennie Hall
Review
By Benevolence Mazhinji
Rushing in from the buzz of a crowded Village Green flea market and running past toddlers with sticky fingers and stallholders yelling over the music, I wasn’t prepared for the whimsical and engrossing world of Grommels, full of sunshine gathered in invisible handfuls and colours so concentrated they seemed to glow from the fabric itself rather than simply sit on top of it.
At first, not much seemed to happen. Yellowgrommel and Bluegrommel lived on opposite sides of the grey wall, each wrapped in their own rituals. One of the most captivating moments came each time Yellowgrommel stepped into the glowing patch of sunlight on her side of the stage. With slow, precise movements, she would gather handfuls of invisible sunshine and scatter it gently over herself and some on grumpy Bluegrommel. Then, with a glint of mischief, she would flick some out toward the audience and the children would reach out their hands gleefully, while some sat up taller to make sure they would also catch her rays of sunshine.
Small giggles flared and fizzled, gathering into laughter that spilled softly across the room. When Bluegrommel clung to Yellowgrommel’s hat and turned away, the voices from the audience rose in unison: “Give it back!” The children were fully engaged, and their eyes were bursting with the kind of unfiltered excitement only children can bring. In that moment, I allowed myself to laugh a little louder with the children. This is something remarkable about children’s theatre, that it welcomes interaction and full expression.
Actress Angelique Filter said that the show is meant to spark playfulness and aims to awaken a sense of hope and connection to the natural world, to the sun and water that bring green, growth and colour. And in that, it succeeds beautifully, leaving behind not just a story, but a lasting sense of wonder.
