The Tongue Twister (24:7 Festival, Manchester)

It’s good to see a children’s play included in this year’s 24:7 Theatre Festival. Perversely it takes place in the basement – which is on the first floor! Perhaps this sets the tone for Luke Walker‘s tale about a land where rhyming is banned?

That is until Plug sucks a red lolly which induces compulsive rhyming. Poetry tumbles effortlessly from the mouth of Jack Dearsley in that endearing role.

Apart from jars of lollies being sold by Old Timer (Leo Atkin), rendered dumb by the so-called Tongue Twister who punishes illegal rhymers, the set is blank. But the verse certainly isn’t

Walker’s love of poetic language is plain for all to hear and his verses, like Shakespeare’s stanzas, flow like prose.

Playmates Jemima (Josie Cerise) and Khymer (Remmel Dawodu), are terrified of the Tongue Twister. And they’re all under the spell of strict teacher Miss Primer played with fearsome grandeur by Ruth Evans.

After eating red lollies, all but Khymer begin to speak in ‘complete verses and even the odd stanza’. Then a grey lolly works for him and they realise that anyone can enjoy speaking poetry.

This play stands out, not just for the concept, but the linguistic skills of Luke Walker, the ability of energetic cast to speak rhythmically and the magical music composed by Andrew Whitehead.

But where were the kids for whom it was written? Bring them and they’ll get a free lolly!