Hetty Feather: Theatre Royal, Newcastle
SALLY Cookson adapts Hetty Feather, the tale about a feisty abandoned child with a soft core. Hetty (Phoebe Thomas) is taken to The Foundling Hospital as a baby along with another baby, Gideon (Mark Kane); the two are fostered by a woman named Peg (Sarah Goddard), but when they are whisked back to the hospital at the age of five, Hetty develops a strong longing for her real mother.
Having read a lot of Jacqueline Wilson’s books, my inner child came to life during this heartwarming tale; by the time Hetty Feather was released I had long stopped reading them, but I was over the moon to see that the story shares a lot of the same elements with her other books. The Tracy Beaker writer likes to incorporate certain themes that a young child might be going through, such as adoption, friendship and family troubles. Hetty Feather, of course, deals with adoption and it’s comforting to know that there are stories out there for children going through heartbreak to know they’re not alone – not to mention it’s an excellent story.
Hetty Feather is suitable for all ages; it gets adults whose imagination might be a bit rusty to picture humans as horses and elephants using two large fans and a long grey tube. I had everlasting fun with this play, it’s full of warmth and heartbreak and the acting is faultless, a great one for the entire family to enjoy.
* Runs until Sunday. Box Office: 08448-112121 or theatreroyal.co.uk
Emily Craig
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