Where is Peter Rabbit? review: How does a play based on Beatrix Potter's books go so wrong?

How could children’s entertainment based on the ever-enduring books of Beatrix Potter possibly go wrong? Well, like this. Last year’s woeful film led the way and now comes this sub-standard stage outing, first seen in Potter’s beloved Lake District in 2016.

Roger Glossop has devised a messy muddle, lasting under an hour, of puppets, music and storytelling, which mixes five of Potter’s tales. It’s a strange choice to use recorded narration (Griff Rhys Jones and Miriam Margolyes provide the voices) for a live event, especially given that the audio quality of the broadcasts isn’t perfect. This led to much restlessness among the young audience.

Joanna Brown plays Potter as a Victorian lady who has temporarily mislaid the world’s most famous bunny. Jemima Puddle-Duck is enlisted to help, which means the set for Sheila Carter’s production is at least bedecked with cardboard flats featuring the soft pastel watercolours of foxgloves from Ms P-D’s book.

The most charming element of this endeavour is the very bouncy puppet of Mr Jeremy Fisher, attached by wires to his puppeteer’s shoes, meaning the pair can hop merrily around together. Mrs Tiggy-Winkle, bright of eye, is lovely too. But little else is.

Until April 28

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