Yesterday we were invited to our favourite theatre
The Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury
To see The Storm Whale
A theatre show inspired by
The beautiful picture books
By Benji Davies

We were so excited and intrigued
Longing to see how some of our favourite stories
Would be brought to life on stage

Our expectations were high
And we were not disappointed
The show was just as magical
And as moving
As we hoped it would be

The stories of Noi and his Dad
And their six cats beside the sea
The stories of love, loss and loneliness
Of family and of friendship
And of the wonderful wild world around us

The theatre show does not begin with Noi
Or Dad, or the cats
The story starts with Flo
A lady of a certain age
Who used to be a little girl
That liked licking lighthouses
Well, one lighthouse
Her lighthouse where she lived
The lighthouse that is central
To the stories of Noi and his Dad
And their six cats beside the sea

When our storyteller, Flo
Told the audience that she lived in the lighthouse
Edie was very quick to stand up
And shout out, “No, you don’t!”
She was very unsure about Flo
And could not work out how she fitted
In the stories that she knows so well
And loves so very much
By the end of show Flo had won Edie over
And enchanted us all
With her love for Noi and for his whale
Edie did have one other thing to shout about
After the interval came the story of
The Storm Whale In Winter
Noi’s Dad goes off fishing
Noi says that he will be back soon
Edie, knowing how the story develops
Stands again calling “No he won’t!”
I think Benji Davies would have been proud
Of her passion for and knowledge of his stories
She really really enjoyed the show

There was so much to love about this production
Beginning with the six cats
All named after Kent towns
With beaches that our family frequent

The set was simple but used brilliantly
To tell the tales of The Storm Whale
Set, props and costumes
Were all true to Benji Davies illustrations
Much to Edie’s delight

The three actors playing Flo, Noi and Dad
Were very very good
Noi especially had a beautiful singing voice
And captured the character
Of a young bereaved lonely lost boy
Trying hard to make connections
Perfectly
Edie really connected with Noi
As he got excited about collecting
Beach treasures
And completely lost in his own thoughts
While his Dad tried to talk to him
The script was very clever
With wonderful use of repetition
And gentle humour
Moments to make you think
And mild peril that had us all
On the very edge of our seats

The show combined dance, drama and song
To tell the stories
We laughed and I cried
As Noi learned to live again
Without his mum
As his Dad realised how much he was needed
How much Noi longed for time and a friend

The Storm Whale and The Storm Whale in Winter
Are beautiful stories of loss, loneliness, friendship and belonging
With the powerful message that
It is okay to be on your own
But it is not okay to be lonely

This incredible 75 minute show
Had so many memorable moments
Here are some of our highlights

The clever use of repetition through the production
To make moments of humour
And of heart
The creative use of puppets and the set
The folk music with beautiful harmonies

This is a fabulous festive family show
Suitable for littlest theatre goers
It is a moving story
With an important message for us all
At Christmas time and all times

Slow down, appreciate the world around you
Make time to do the things you love
Alone if you must
But when you can with friends and family that you love