THIS charming family show gives itself a rather big task in a short time - telling children and parents alike it’s okay not to be okay, while offering help on how to deal with it.
When Another Dragon Roars is a two hander from Liverpool-based Petit Ullaloom and Altered Scale, performed by Lucy Fiori and Austin Mitchel-Hewitt. Alfie and his mum have gone camping - but the hopes of breezy Blyton-esque larks and mother-son bonding are repeatedly scuppered by unresolved issues and emotions coming to the surface.
While Alfie’s childish frustrations are difficult to control, the stresses of parenthood are also explored - the dragons are metaphorical, of course, and manifest themselves in different ways. With a bit of love and care, these things can be tamed.
Fantasy sequences are acted out using puppetry; an allegorical tale told using everyday items from their picnic basket is delightful and creative highlight.
The play tackles heavy subjects with a gentle deftness for the benefit of its young audience, but works smartly on two levels to give adults pause for thought as well.
To its merit, the symbiosis of the parent-child relationship is seldom explored as genuinely this on stage; but it’s the flights of fancy, shadow puppetry and mythical tales that children will remember.
When Another Dragon Roars was presented online by At Yours (check out what else they have coming up here), and included three short films that revisited the themes of the 30-minute play and encouraged mindfulness, again for children and parents alike.
