The Water Babies

Synopsis

Tom the boy Sweep is brutalised by his employer Mr Grimes and yearns for the unattainable Ellie. Escaping into the river he enters a wondrous realm of talking creatures, moralising fairies and the industrious water babies. But will he ever be able to complete the tasks they set him and reach the Other-End-of-Nowhere? Kingsley's fairy-tale is a sparkling fantasy, a sensuous evocation of the underwater world and the dappled light of childhood.

Our Review:

21 July 2003

Written a century before Roald Dahl, clergyman Charles Kingsley's The Water Babies is no less dark nor strange. An immensely popular book in its time, The Water Babies tells the story of an abused child chimney-sweep who drowns and turns into an immortal creature. Underwater, he meets an array of fantastical beasts, including talking fish, fairies and the always good humoured water babies.

It is also a story of child death and redemption through forgiveness. Today, however, its pedantically sermonising style seems to compare unfavourably with Alice in Wonderland (published two years later) and Dickens' realistic approach to social injustice.

A new musical take on this fairy story by Gary Yershon (book) and Jason Carr (music and lyrics) adopts a light touch on the rudder, and whilst not veering away from the darker elements of the story, never takes itself too seriously.

Director Jeremy Sams tells the story wi...

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Latest User Review

USER: Whatsonstage.com (193.237.56.11) - 27 July 2003:

Composer Jason Carr has done a fine job, and best of all he has give his talented and all to often under rated Leading Lady the kind of star vehicle of a part that she so richly deserves, which she does full justice to. The rest of the are all excellent to, but she's the star....

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