On paper, this Disney musical about AA Milne’s honey-loving bear and his gang has all the makings of a bulletproof hit. Inspired by the adored books and successful film franchise, the adaptation arrives in the UK after rave reviews in America. How could it possibly go wrong?
What is surprising is that this Disney juggernaut looks and sounds bizarrely like a sleepy CBeebies studio show, with anodyne songs by the Sherman brothers that are instantly forgettable. Jonathan Rockefeller’s book is basic, with none of Disney’s characteristic ability to speak to children and adults at once, and the plotting is threadbare.
Framed by the changing of the seasons, there is a narrative hodgepodge of mini-stories with little through-line. Pooh (Jake Bazel) gets jammed in a tree while looking for honey, Piglet (Lottie Grogan) becomes tangled in a kite, Eeyore (Alex Cardall) ambles lugubriously on and off stage while Owl (also Cardall) dispenses wisdom before fluttering away too soon.
The Disney films work well for their distinctive, slower pacing, all the more fitting for the Taoist philosophy of “just being” in the Pooh stories. But that pace is soporific for the stage, even for a show that is just over an hour long.
For some fans, the joy of seeing these characters lumber on to the stage might be exciting enough, and the puppets themselves are lovely. Rabbit, Owl and Eeyore are especially striking but the characters have limited lines and bare-boned personalities. It is Tigger (Robbie Noonan) who brings the entertainment and exuberant energy when he turns up halfway in but he cannot redeem the show single-handedly. His songs, The Wonderful Thing about Tiggers and Whoop-De-Dooper Bounce, are highlights but the score can often sound like a Christmas jingle.
It is all rather too anticlimactic for the adults even if it holds the attention of preschoolers – a baby, resting in parental arms next to me, was still and silent for the duration. It was hard to tell if they were held rapt or had simply fallen asleep.
At Riverside Studios, London, until 21 May
