Pollyanna, the light hearted young orphan from America, hops over to stay with her strict old aunt from England and along the way enlightens the nearby residents as to how to live life with a smile. It’s all simple fare with pantomime-like characters – the drunk vicar with a bright red nose, the twittering old women with humped backs – and bright costumes bringing the show to life with a cartoonish tweak. In contrast to the costumes, the singing from time to time falls short of being particularly rousing or memorable, on occasion being hard to hear, or simply being unnecessary. Still there’s enough here to entertain – just not quite enough to make this so distinguished from the plethora of other musicals.
C, 21 – 26 Aug, 3.00pm (4.30pm), £4.50 – £7.50, fpp233.