However urban this England becomes, we still want it to be a place of magic woods and fairy enchantment. We imagine the humblest of parks into the merriest of greenwoods, while our postage stamp patch is a realm of verdant charm.
Only the English could produce a playwright whose characters are called Mustardseed and Peaseblossom. Will Tuckett has captured our rural longing in his new family show, and while it's not as dramatically tidy as his Wind in the Willows, it still has pastoral appeal and some very effective puppets by Blind Summit Theatre.
It tells the story of Edie, a Second World War evacuee who is separated from her brother and escapes to Kensington Gardens (hints of Peter Pan here). She meets a good fairy, a tiny, Tinkerbell puppet with broken wings, a wise old fairy, and very scary wicked fairy who looks like a stick man made from an oil slick. Biff-about comedy comes from his henchmen whom Edie converts with her honest charm.
The dancer-actors move the stringless puppets. They dance a little, and sing a lot (Martin Ward composes). Tuckett's choreography is basic fare but apart from one or two slow sections, his direction is nimble. With pruning, a good show.
Until 19 July (020 7304 4000)
William Tuckett: Faeries
Clore Studio Upstairs at the Royal Opera House
Bow Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 9DD
