Bay Area Children’s Theatre’s Emil of Lönneberga brings to the English-language stage the amusing adventures of an angelic-looking, 5-year-old farm lad who can’t seem to stay out of trouble—a series of tales set in Sweden about 100 years ago by Astrid Lindgren, beloved author of the children’s classic, Pippi Longstocking.
In this new adaptation by Miles Nye, impetuous Emil, his little sister Ida and their assorted animal pals are charming, lifelike puppets, manipulated Bunraku-style by puppeteers who appear on stage with them. The grown-ups in Emil’s world—his beleaguered parents and the townsfolk who take up a collection to send him to America—are, well, real grown-ups, but they can be charming, too, when they aren’t shaking their heads or gnashing their teeth.
Live musicians will add to the fun with traditional folk music from the region of Småland, Sweden, where Lönneberga is located. Felicity Hesed directs the production.
