Imagination key to success of 'Room on the Broom'

Kids in the audience for Tall Stories Theatre Company's production of “Room on the Broom,” should be scared silly — with the emphasis on the silly part.

Young theatergoers might scream, but it will likely be with delight at the musical stage adaptation of the best-selling book by Julia Donaldson, one of Britain's favorite storybook authors and a 2011 Children's Laureate honoree.

The show makes the first of several area stops Feb. 7 at the Byham Theater, Downtown.

The witch in “Room on the Broom” isn't at all evil. She's described as kind-hearted, enthusiastic and a little absent-minded. She enjoys inventing potions and flying on her broomstick, accompanied by Cat and a few other animal friends she invites to hop on board.

Part of Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's Citizens Bank Children's Theater Series, the tour is traveling throughout North America.

Toby Mitchell, joint artistic director of the company he co-founded with Olivia Jacobs in 1997, is creative producer for this stage show.

“Our main aim is to tell a good story well — to bring it to life on stage for audiences of all ages,” Mitchell says. “And we do make shows for all the family. It's important to us that grown-ups enjoy them as much as the kids do.”

“Room on the Broom,” one of 27 shows the company has produced, follows the same storyline as the book, maintaining the same rhyming couplets with added extra dialogue and songs.

“We've also added a frame to the story,” he says. “The performers play a group of friends who are camping in a forest — along with the audience — and spot something very strange in the sky.”

At Tall Stories, small ensembles of actors are used to tell big stories — normally a cast of three or four. There are six characters in this show, including the witch, her cat, a dog, a bird, a frog and a dragon.

“Because we like the audience to use their imaginations, we dress characters in costumes that hint at who they are, rather than depicting them naturalistically,” Mitchell says, “so the cat wears stripy clothes and then uses her performance skills to become cat-like. The dog, the bird and the frog are portrayed by fantastic puppets designed especially for the show. And as for the dragon — you won't be disappointed.”

Tall Stories has performed around the world — including on Broadway, the National Theatre, West End London theaters and Sydney Opera House. Its creative team mixes many forms of theater together to tell a story — from direct storytelling to the audience, dialogue, music, songs, physical and visual theater.

“And we love getting the audience to use their imaginations,” Mitchell says. “So, even though they know the witch is not actually flying, they believe she is.”

“Room on the Broom” is recommended for children age 3 and up.

Candy Williams is a Tribune-Review contributing writer.