REVIEW: Kaleidoscope, The New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth

When your audience is aged six to 18 months any show you put on is bound to be a bit bonkers.

A group of mums, nans and babies assembled at the New Theatre Royal on Friday to see Kaleidoscope - a show by the Filskit Theatre Company especially made for little ones.

Unlike any normal theatre performance, we were ushered up past the curtain and on to the stage where a world of shapes, lights and colours waited.

Our little ones were placed on to shapes of different textures - mine opting for a velvet blue square - and the show began.

A solitary performer started making simple yet odd and strangely captivating motions and sounds - such as tapping on an overturned bowl and waving some spectacular reading glasses about.

Lights twinkled accompanied by the occasional sigh, word or bleep.

All the babies sat captivated, jaws open, eyes wide as if it was the most amazing thing they’d ever seen. Even the most adventurous crawlers were stopped in their tracks.

It’s clear to see why this show was sold out - there’s nothing like it. Words cannot do it justice. It’s like In The Night Garden meets Stranger Things… for babies.

Some mums might’ve been left scratching their heads but I’m sure it all made perfect sense to a 10-month old, and will be providing inspiration for his little dreams.

A unique experience.