Room on the Broom Live

“How the car purred and how the witch grinned, as they sat on their broomstick and flew through the wind”. Written by Julia Donaldson MBE and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, Room on the Broom is a wonderful tale.

It’s about a witch and her cat who fly around happily on their broomstick until a stormy wind blows away the witch’s hat, bow and wand. Retrieved by a dog, a bird and a frog, each asks for a ride until the weight becomes too much and the broom snaps in two.

POD loves Room on the Broom so we were delighted to hear this fabulous picture book had been adapted for the stage.

Although she is younger than the 3+ recommended age we booked tickets as it seemed too good an opportunity. We’d missed The Gruffalo Live and heard Tall Stories received rave reviews for it. We hoped Room on the Broom would be the same.

POD was confused when her Room on the Broom flag didn’t fly but all was forgotten when we took our seats. The audience was immediately engaged by campers located around the theatre. One camper then became the witch and two the narrators with all four actors bringing amazing dog, bird and frog puppets to life.

As you’d expect there was much excitement when they whooshed through the air! And the songs used to accompany the original story just added to the magic of the show. The story was beautifully told by a hugely talented team who delivered a performance that was bursting with energy. Their improvisation and timing was exceptional.

POD was fascinated by it throughout although she did sit on Daddy’s knee when the dragon appeared. She remained in her seat for the entire 55 minutes. For a toddler that rarely stays in the same place, that’s a huge achievement. Her response when we asked if she enjoyed it was “again?”. Says it all really, just brilliant.

Room on the Broom Live is touring the UK until the end of December.

Photo Credit: Graeme Braidwood