Like many small boys, Arthur enjoys nothing more than making a racket.
Like many superior sisters, Edith has had enough of her little brother. She likes reading and nature. Quiet nature.
In Grapple Theatre’s new show (based on the book by Angie Morgan), Arthur causes trouble wherever he goes – but in the end he finds a good use for his shouting skills.
George Dix is an excellent Arthur, managing to convey his character’s essential good nature even when he’s wearing his entire family down. Over-enthusiastic, easily bored, but up for anything, Arthur careers through life (and the studio), frightening the wildlife Edith wants to watch in the garden, scaring the boy he wants to play with on the beach, suggesting subversive games (Danger Crab, anyone?) and putting on his imaginary jet boots whenever there’s somewhere to jet off to. He doesn’t mean to cause mayhem; it just happens.
Edith (a convincingly prissy Pippa Morgan) tries to be patient with Arthur (in a suitably patronising way – after all, she IS the eldest, and don’t we know it…), explaining over and again why he needs to be quiet, and trying to include him in her more intellectual pursuits. Again, Morgan avoids slipping into pastiche; she could have played this as a pantomime prima donna, but instead we are always made aware that she does love Arthur, despite his faults. He’s irritating, but he’s still her brother. When he knocks down her sandcastle she simply sighs (on the basis of my own children’s behaviour, I’m not convinced that this scene is entirely realistic …); he hasn’t done it to annoy her, he simply thinks it’ll be more fun to build another one.
There are plenty of opportunities for children to join in in this show. I’m not sure that the very young ones at Sunday’s performance got all the jokes – some are clearly aimed at parents – but they clearly enjoyed audience participation much more than the average adult. The invitation to find fish in a (pretend!) rock pool was particularly successful. Visual jokes are often more successful with pre-schoolers than wordplay, and the classic ‘it’s behind you’ scenes were well received, perhaps because they give children the chance to feel they know more than the dimwit grown-ups.
Dix proved himself an accomplished rapper, and his camping up of the final song went down a storm with all ages. All of the cast had good diction and voice projection, and although their singing wasn’t exactly perfect, I don’t think any of the under-fives cared about that.
Mum and Dad (Lucy Harbridge and Dan Addleman) did occasionally look slightly stiff and embarrassed at first, but they soon warmed up and Addleman performed entertainingly in his dual role as Dad/coastguard.
When Arthur’s shouting finally comes into its own, Edith admits that she’s not always right, and the whole family realises that it’s OK to be different.
Shouty Arthur is a fun show for small children, and one that parents, grandparents and carers can enjoy too.
Shouty Arthur is at theSpace@Surgeons Hall (venue 53) at 10.35am on 6 and 7 August. Tickets available here: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on#q=%22Shouty%20Arthur!%22 or from the box office at the venue.
