Belt Up Theatre: A Little Princess @ C Nova
Belt Up Theatre's A Little Princess will really transport you back to your childhood
Entering the performance space, I was given a bell, renamed Belinda and, throughout the performance, rang the bell on demand of the head 'mistress', something which, coupled with sitting cross-legged on the floor, brings instantly back the the halcyon days of primary school.
The room itself was beautiful, the perfect setting for childish games and storytelling, and this is storytelling at its best. Or, at its childhood best. The ability of the actors to switch effortlessly between convincing portrayals of children and adults is impressive: actors change character mid-scene and it's still believable.
Disbelief is suspended at the door: there are unexplained moments of confusion in the overall plot, but the pace of the production races over these. And if you believe, anything is plausible. That's the show's message. Whether this lesson can be taken into adult life is left open to interpretation: what's most important is the earnest, open and innocent childhood experience that plays out before you.