TALL Tree Theatre delighted audiences last year with Shackleton, an adventure story inspired by a lost dog. The company is back with another exciting tale, this time all at sea with an albatross, playing to Artsreach audiences at Buckland Newton and Bourton.

Written by Anna Harriott, it’s the story of three people, a rackety old boat, a lot of fish and two birds. It’s set somewhere far out on the stormy seas, where grandfather (Chris Talman) has accidentally steered the fishing boat on to the rocks. The engine has stopped working, there’s another storm blowing in, and Grandfather says he can’t get the boat fixed until tomorrow.

Lily (Anna Harriott) wants to help, but mother (Vix Hobbs) is busy cooking in the galley, checking the nets, ticking Lily off for giving fish to the birds, and chivvying grandfather to get on with repairing the engine, so Lily lets her imagination fly and soon she meets an albatross.

It is a completely delightful show, full of salty tall stories and sea shanty-style songs. Grandfather tells tall tales of getting lost in the Sargasso sea and feeding marshmallows to the dinosaurs – but can he fix that boat?

There are few things more enchanting than the sound of children laughing and this lovely show has lots of laughs and a few excited gasps – the first appearance of the giant albatross is quite a WOW moment!

If you missed the two Artsreach dates, look out for a return for Tall Tree Theatre in the new year.

FC