‘Made At Curve’ is a golden three-word hallmark for theatrical excellence and Leicester Curve’s studio production of Pirates Love Underpants designed and staged for the little ones and their families this year is no exception. It’s energetic, totally crackers and colourfully ‘plunderful’ entertainment. There’s plenty of daft piratical escapades with puns aplenty; underpants are the central theme (of course they are) and the kids in the audience have great fun joining the pirate ship’s Cap’n Eye Patch, his parrot and motely crew as they go on a high seas adventure in search of the golden underpants.

Photos credit Jonathan Pryke

Pirates Love Underpants is directed by Cara Nolan. Claire Freedman’s children’s book is adapted for the stage by Brad Fitt and Jude Taylor is the show’s composer and musical supervisor. Deborah Mingham is the creator for set, costume, puppetry designer and maker. Johnny Autin shows off his puppet skills as puppetry director and Wes Fife is video designer. The production team is completed with the sound designer (Dave Norton) and lighting designer (Jonathan Payne). Norwell Lapley Productions Ltd is back once again co-producing with Curve after their success in 2023 with The Owl Who Came For Christmas.

This charming treasure trove of children’s theatre features the comically engaging and sprite talents of James Blake – Butler (Captain Eye Patch, Gulliver and ensemble), Evie James (Bucko and ensemble), Stephanie Lysé (Plank and ensemble), Yasmin Parekh ((Hornswoggle and ensemble), Nat Speight (Patricia, Barnaby and on stage swing). As a fellow audience member sitting next to me with his mum, four year-old Yusef can’t take his eyes off the stage for the whole fifty minutes and is clearly in wonderment at all the colourful goings on at his first time ever at the theatre. Bless him. As a crusty sixty-eight year-old reviewer I am equally enchanted and the creativity and surprise elements of the whole show brings out the child-like pirate in me and lots of smiles to my heart and beaming face. As the programme says ‘… it’s a swaggering theatrical feast for young imaginations.’ Now me hearties answer me this “Why are we pirates?” “Because we aargh!”

For fifty minutes of fiercely fabulous family fun get booking now me buckos!

Pirates Love Underpants runs at Leicester Curve Studio until Sunday January 5th 2025.