This charming and surprisingly faithful adaptation of the Dickens classic features music, puppetry and projection in a show sure to wow children.

The show was told using a small, tight ensemble cast of three actors and a fair few puppets. The puppets were varied, from some very approachable, almost muppet-like characters up to a ghostly, glitchy Jacob Marley with an ipad face and a tall, silent and sinister ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. The small cast were incredibly impressive - very hardworking and charismatic and exuding a real sense of fun and friendliness to their young audience. They also all played at least two instruments and there were frequent songs to break up the action and move the story along.

While some of the sections were a bit scary for younger viewers, the cast explained that they were just acting at the beginning, and the performance was easily relaxed enough to chat quietly about it or take a child to another part of the room. My two year old was unconcerned by all of it, I should note.

There were some delightful moments of audience interaction in the show, from a carol singalong as we were waiting to the last of the audience to come in, to the climax of the show - Scrooge giving away all his (chocolate) gold to the audience and then a snow machine.

I only have two small quibbles about the show. Firstly, there were very bright overhead lights on throughout - I would have preferred some simple stage lights, or just daylight if that wasn’t possible, and secondly, there was one song shown on the projector, during which the children’s attention noticeably dipped. However these are tiny issues in an otherwise excellent show.

When I asked my just turned 2-year-old what she liked most about the play she said “Piggy!”. The show features no piggies, but we did go for a wander around Millet’s Farm animal walkway beforehand. Millets is a great venue for a show like this - you could easily make a full day out of it if your children didn’t need a nap (there’s also an excellent soft play). If Folksy Theatre return next Christmas or for a summer show, I’d recommend snapping up tickets without hesitation. This warm hearted and talented small theatre company are going on my auto-book list.