Chicken Licken
Hiccup Theatre, in collaboration with Derby Theatre and Polka Theatre, have brought audiences aged 3+ a singing and signing delight!
Based on the Mara Alperin illustrated children's book, we follow Chicken Licken and his farmyard friends as they try to solve a BIG problem: The sky is falling in!
This courageous little chick needs to let everyone know there is a problem, but he can't do it alone! Chicken Licken is joined by Ducky Lucky, Turkey Lurkey and Henny Penny as they attempt to reach Farmer Brown for help. But what will the greedy and sly Foxy Loxy have to say about it all?
With embedded audio description at every performance, the visual details are accessible to everyone. Which, of course, is important for any production, but even more so for those aimed at children and their families. There was one youngster at our matinee who continuously found questions to ask about who was doing what and why - many of which were then answered by the pre recorded narration!
A cast of Deaf and Neurodivergent actors filled the stage with verbal and signed language, integrating both forms of communication seamlessly into the script. With performers interpreting for one another, this hugely normalised the differences that are so often made to stand out - encouraging important conversations among the audience.
This wasn't the only helpful message within the piece, as the entire story was about managing emotions and how everyone regulates differently. It was great to see authentic representation throughout and healthy presentations of a range of feelings!
Another brilliant access provision was the creative captions by Ben Glover. These were projected onto the rear of the set, and offered an opportunity to include shadow puppetry (well, if you have the tech in place - why not make it multifunctional)! Here is where John Barber shone, with a beautiful design and eloquent execution.
The plot is basic, but writer and director Sarah Brigham has used this as a blank canvas on which to create an engaging and easy to follow hour of music and adventure.
There is a little bit of a slow start which wouldn't have been a problem if there wasn't so much time consuming chaos during later sequences! This comes after our introduction to social media influencer, insufferable yogi, and content creator ‘Loosey Goosey’. The modernisation of this character set it apart from the others - but rather like a sore thumb. It felt out of place as the younger attendees won't have understood these references, and it was simply cringey for the adults!
Given that this could be seen as the only critique, everyone involved really should feel incredibly proud of the truly inclusive show they have created.
This show was reviewed on the 6th April 2025 at the Polka Theatre, London where it runs until the 11th May 2025. Tickets available here: Polka Chicken Licken
Review written by Katie Anna McConnell
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Photo credit: Supplied by Production
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