Review: Room on the Broom by Tall Stories at York Theatre Royal

When we were offered the chance to review the Olivier Award Nominated adaptation of Room on the Broom by Tall Stories at York Theatre Royal, we jumped at the chance! We were lucky enough to catch Tall Stories production of The Smeds and The Smoos so were familiar with their style.

This live action adaptation of the classic Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler picture book really is a treat for everyone, not just the children! In amongst the catchy songs and lines we all know from the book, we enjoyed getting to know all the characters a little bit more (the cat is my absolute favourite – with her trusty jelly babies!). There were plenty of laughs from the whole theatre – from mums, dads and grandparents right down to the youngest theatre goers.

I’m always amazed at how they can turn a short story into an hour-long production, but they do it, and they do it so well. The staging is simple yet so effective and the small cast are brilliant and so engaging, it certainly didn’t feel like an hour at all, and my boys were left wanting more.

My boys really loved this; my eldest (7) didn’t stop smiling all the way through and my youngest (4) is still singing the songs! And me, well I haven’t laughed so much at something for children in quite some time.

We love visiting York Theatre Royal, it’s such a lovely, traditional theatre, a beautiful size and all the staff are so helpful and kind, nothing is ever too much trouble.  My youngest needed a booster seat to see, which they had plenty of to hand.

This is the perfect introduction to theatre for young children.  We visited after school for the 4.30pm performance which is a great time to visit.

Room on the Broom is now touring the UK.