Nutty Noah, Komedia, Bath, 20th December 2016
Joanne Sefton
“Wear your pants with pride,” is the message from Nutty Noah, filling this year’s festive family entertainment slot at Komedia. Judging by the proportion of wriggling 3-7 year olds in the audience happily sporting pant-based headwear, he’s a man with a talent for getting his message across.
This was old-fashioned, all-round entertainment, moving at breakneck speed from magic, to comedy, to music, via a nifty bit of knee puppetry and an unintentionally headless pet racoon. Whilst kids’ party variety acts are common place, it takes particular talent to hold such a big crowd, especially given the almost cavernous venue. Our kids were mesmerised by the unusual and invented instruments including the ‘boobaphone’ and the hornaphone (as a player of which Nutty Noah joins a small but alliterative company including Harry Hill and Bill Bailey) and large scale spectacles such as giant light-up inflatable balls and a wonderful snowstorm finale which allowed the kids to get out of their seats and get involved.
Some feistiness was required from audience volunteers – both children and adult – so don’t stick your hand up if you’re not prepared to get stuck in. I’d also say that some of the close-up magic was a little lost on youngsters at the back of the hall. All in all, though, it was a great way to divert Christmas-fevered brains for an afternoon. Pass me those pants, someone…