Early Weaves- Exposing the Inner Mind of a Child

The stage had been laid out like a child’s picnic, pillows across the floor for the children to sit on, in all colours and shapes. Rope laced across the floor acting as a barrier to prevent the children from crossing in an excellent example of the British Rules based society. Willow-based props had been weaved and constructed, such as barriers and ornaments that sat at the back of the roped off section.

After allowing the children to sit, the two main actors walked in, barefoot and dressed in caveman-like clothing. After walking around the audience, inspecting the children and checking on the parents, they began to cross the rope and onto the stage. They immediately began to dance, using the willow props as tools to create different animals and objects, showing the creativity possible with just the use of a stick. Though the show was non-verbal, the sounds they made themselves illustrated what they had produced with the willow perfectly.

Though the cast itself only consisted of two people, the pair of them seemed to have great chemistry, and were able to effortlessly perform in front of the children. And when it came to the play section, where the children were allowed to explore the set and play, the pair got hands on, showing them what can be done with a few twigs and leaves. I also felt a sort of ‘Adam and Eve’ style approach had been used, as if two people were experiencing the wilderness for the first time, unable to properly communicate with one another other than through sounds and imitating objects and animals.

The sound production was also excellent- with music that reminded me of the music from films such as The Gruffalo and Stick Man, both by Julia Donaldson. The kids seemed immersed in the display, and the play section with the music really allowed them to get to grips with what was going on, and allowed their imaginations to run wild, with strong encouragement to do so.

Overall, Early Weaves is a great forty-five minute activity for those under the age of seven, allowing for the children to see that using their imagination is a good thing, and having watched the pair before them do so, encouraged them to have a go and use things as simple as twigs to express themselves, a message we should all take on even as adults.

Get tickets to see Early Weaves, showing across the country until 1st November 2025.