There’s a bit of a gap between what a 4-year old wants from Christmas (in our case marshmallows done up in tinsel) and what I as her parent want her to want from Christmas, ideally to understand that giving is more exciting than receiving, and just to be grateful for a good meal together.

Lightbulb Princess tackles this gap effectively and wholeheartedly without ever getting preachy. The Princess herself is the epitome of over-consumption, presented as a power-crazed electricity sucker. Many a larger, more established theatre company might balk at tackling consumerism and the climate crisis in one show aimed at under 8s, but if you need proof of the way theatre and stories can bring hard topics to life with aplomb (and even more importantly make them fun) then here it is.

We formed part of a small select audience, but the actors performed on full blast without trying to whip us up into a full-house frenzy. It was a perfect show for an intimate setting but I imagine it’s just as great with a big crowd, and I believe school groups have been filling Pegasus to the rafters and doing the show justice all week. Lucky them!

My daughter loved the songs, the sparkles, the actors’ energy, and the fairy lights. I loved a show with a treasure hunt of a set, that took a gentle but effective swipe at a bunch of big topics, and which showed both boys and girls repairing things (safely!) and included the genius rhyme:

“Tiny humans/Come on, I need my lumens!”