"What Cannon and Manley achieve to perfection is to capture the spirit of Sewell’s great cry for the well being of animals, while holding the story at just enough distance to make it slightly less frightening and nightmarish...All the sadness is there...but so is a gentle humour that has the kids in the audience shouting with laughter, a touching human relationship beautifully realised, and a stream of inventive genius that seems like the spirit of hope itself."
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"Drawing on wells of child-friendly physical comedy and very clever storytelling enacted by the perfect versatility of Reppe’s horsebox set...Everything you could hope for in a seasonal children’s tale is here...It’s no small feat that, as the silliness rises to a conclusion which is perfect in its daftness, so too does our investment in these characters and the story they tell."
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"A cleverly versatile stage for Cannon and Manley to bring all their storytelling abilities...The pair recreate Sewell’s narrative with broad strokes, galloping through Black Beauty’s life and adventures, mentioning but never dwelling on its darkest moments...Aficionados of the novel might not find it dark enough, but will enjoy recognising the passing scenes...Carefully balanced and packed with hidden ideas and word-play, the production draws cleverly from pantomime, storytelling, and puppetry."
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"The creative team not only leap every hurdle with ticklish wit, they saddle up a whole stable of inventive flourishes that make everyday objects...There’s a strand of profoundly affecting pathos in the plight of these close-knit brothers...If the trappings – design details, brilliant funny business – are a delight, it’s the cleverly-nuanced emotional heart of the piece that takes 'Black Beauty' cantering an extra, impressive mile."
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"Much of the source’s power has gone. While some of the moral lessons remain, the more worrying aspects of animal cruelty detailed in the book are smoothed over to a great extent, and any worrying moments are made suitable for younger audiences...Where this production really scores is in its original features. The McCuddys’ story is easily strong enough to carry the show on its own, with Manley and Cannon’s portrayal of the sibling relationship being both funny and touching."
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"A triumph of object-theatre stagecraft, it takes a rosette-worthy canter through a stableful of horse-themed gags, while paying touching testament to the value of resilience...The approach provides a narrative frame for the episodic tales, while offering a jokey point of contrast to Sewell’s high drama of burning barns and animal cruelty...It’s as beguiling as it is funny, and if your heart’s never gone out to a fallen welly, this is the show for you."
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"They begin to reenact scenes from the book through storytelling, song, comedy, and puppetry. There’s chases, bike rides, and a brilliant moment involving audience participation...As with any good Panto, there’s plenty of references to keep the parents happy...It’s a bit of a dark story, but any potentially harrowing scenes are skillfully dealt with to avoid kids blurting their eyes out...It’s just really good fun. I enjoyed it so much."
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"Much of the original novel’s power comes from the contrast of love and abuse its equine characters experience from their owners. This theatrical version neuters these complex elements in favour of a more basic Christmas story...The creators set out to tell 'Black Beauty' as simply as possible while framing it in a new, child-friendly tale of friendship in adversity. In this it is a success...Ultimately, appealing to families is what this production sets out to do, and it achieves its aim."
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