It was a mini invasion at the Little Angel Theatre last Wednesday as babymakers from all over turned out for their annual Summer Party.
There were puppets on parade, puppet-making workshops along with other crafts, free puppet shows and tea and cake for refreshments.
The day was also a celebration of the 50th anniversary of one of London’s top theatre institutions for young and old, with an Islington Green plaque unveiled to commemorate John Wright, the original string-puller.
Inside the theatre, there were backstage tours and a chance to hang out with some of the celebrity puppets, including the rather flashy Jack Frost (someone pointed out he looks a bit like Quentin Tarantino). I urged Jed to give Jack a high five, but my 2-year-old kept his distance from the strange little guy in the disco suit.
Outside, the party spilled into St. Mary’s Church gardens where we got to watch some of the puppeteers in action. It’s a true art bringing these characters to life and a real pleasure seeing how entranced the little ones are by the shows.
The first ever performance we watched at Little Angel Theatre, Ezra was 3 and Jed was only 9 months old, and both my babes were totally captivated from start to finish.
On Wednesday, the grown-ups had a laugh when guests like Sooty and Sweep and one of the Muppets popped up. Old school!
With the garden bathed in sunlight, picnic blankets spread out and kids running around with their handmade puppets, it was a magical afternoon.
Happy birthday, Little Angel Theatre and here’s to another 50 years.
Visit the Little Angel Theatre online for details of current and upcoming shows. Baby-friendly performances are at 11am on Sundays.
