I Want My Hat Back, National Theatre ****

This years show for young children at the National transforms Jon Klassen's popular story into a fun hours-worth of excitement. Wils Wilson directs this rather quaint and enjoyable production in which Marek Larwood's bear tries to find his hat which has been stolen by Steven Webb's rabbit. Natalie Klamar, Peter Lawman and Naana Agyei-Ampadu play an assortment of animals and shrubbery during this bears journey to find his hat. Fly Davis' design creates an inviting, living room setup where the children could play and interact with cast members before the show. Sadness and tragedy is shown quite candidly here, with a surprisingly vivid death which I initially thought would upset the young audience yet they handled it well with no one seeming upset. Arthur Darvill's music is jolly and upbeat whilst Joel Horwood's book is fun both for children and adults. Performances, as expected, are excellent, especially Larwood who tackled tricky questions from some inquisitive children well. This is a charming production that takes it's audience seriously and, as a result, is much better for it.