Fantastic Mr Fox

★★★☆☆    Entertaining

King’s Theatre: Mon 15 – Sat 20 May 2017
Junior review by Cora Dibdin

Fantastic Mr Fox is a musical for children based on the classic book by Roald Dahl.

It is the same basic story as the book, but lots of things that Mr Fox does are not the same.

Jade Croot (Kit), Greg Barnett (Mr Fox) and Lillie Flynn (Mrs Fox). Pic: Manuel Harlan

It has been made into a film as well as a play and the play is much better than the film.

There are three evil farmers and Mr Fox steals things from their farms, so they get mad at him and try to shoot him.

I liked the costumes because they made the actors look like it was definitely people dressing up as animals, but in a good way.

Not needed

Some of the bits added in were not needed. The bit where he met the rat was okay but when the rat made Mr Fox fall into the trap and everything went horribly wrong – again! – that wasn’t needed.

Greg Barnett (Mr Fox) and Richard Atwill (Rat). Pic Manuel Harlan

I liked the rabbit, she was funny and loud because she kept on getting over-excited and really jumpy.

The farmers were just as they should be – really horrible and nasty and smelly. They had not very sensible ideas, like just sitting and starving the fox until he came out.

There was music and dancing, like in a musical. Sometimes that was a bit boring, when Mr Fox sang about being on his own and then all the animals came on and joined him it was too long and a bit boring.

Music

The music was played by three people dressed up as birds. You could see them on the stage.

Raphael Bushay (Badger), Kelly Jackson (Mouse), Jade Croot (Kit), Greg Barnett (Mr Fox), Lillie Flynn (Mrs Fox), Sandy Foster (Rabbit) and Grufford Glyn (Mole). Pic: Manuel Harlan

When Farmer Bean sang about what a fox would do next in Think Like A Fox he thought he wouldn’t have any worries and any troubles. He went all timid and weird and that was funny.

I would recommend it for people who liked the book or the movie.

Running time: 2 hours 10 minutes (including one interval)
King’s Theatre, 2 Leven Street EH3 9LQ.
Monday 15 – Saturday 20 May 2017
Evenings: 7 pm; Matinees: Weds 10.30am & 2.30pm: Sat: 2.30 pm.
Tickets and details: www.edtheatres.com/fanstasticmrfox

Tour website: www.fantasticmrfoxlive.com
Fantastic Mr Fox on Twitter: @MrFox_Live

Tags: Cora Dibdin, Fantastic Mr Fox, Junior Review, King's Theatre, Review, Roald Dahl