Jonathan Rockefeller has created a new musical stage adaption of ‘Disney’s: Winnie The
Pooh’ has just visited the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh as a part of its UK premiere. It’s
a production that invites the audience into the Hundred Acre Wood to follow the adventures of Pooh Bear and friends throughout the seasons. The musical is set to visit a variety of UK venues and concludes its tour 2nd September this year.
The story that’s told is a simple one, and the beloved characters created by A.A Milne are portrayed by beautifully crafted puppets inspired by Disney’s character designs. They’re lifesize and maneuvered by highly energetic actors who were greeted with excited cheers from children in the audience each time a new one appeared. (Eeyore was a particular crowdpleaser!) We begin with Pooh Bear searching for his friend Christopher Robin, but his search quickly gets put on hold when he realises that no Christopher Robin also means no pots of honey. So, it is with the help of Piglet, Tigger and other iconic characters that Pooh begins a new quest to acquire a small smackeral. Of course, there are many obstacles, such as bees and blustery days, but a touching reunion with Christopher Robin is finally had and Pooh inevitably gets a full pot of honey.
The original stories of these characters are so timeless and well-known, with a runtime of 65 minutes it is difficult to properly explore them whilst simultaneously showcasing classic musical numbers written by the Sherman brothers. Those numbers included ‘Winnie The Pooh’, ‘A Rather Blustery Day’ and ‘The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers’ which was a highlight from Robbie Noonan who perfectly captured the voice and mannerisms of Tigger.
The puppet work really is the most magical aspect of this show. It’s a joyful experience for anyone to see the characters they loved so much during their childhood come to life on stage. However, it would have been lovely to see them all have more interactions with Christopher Robin – the only human character in the show – who merely got to be present for the first and final scene. It is perhaps a missed opportunity as Christopher Robin is usually very involved in both the stories and Disney adaptions, and his friendship with the animals is such a key part of the overall tale. It would have been whimsically charming to see him playing Pooh Sticks alongside Tigger and Piglet or helping Eeyore to build a new
house.
Unfortunately, the volume of the audio throughout the show was quite low. This may be an issue with the venue as opposed to the production. Yet as a result, nice bits of dialogue were lost due to quiet mics and punchlines didn’t land as they ought to have. It would be wonderful to see this show expand in the future. The possibilities for Winnie The Pooh productions are enormous and there’s a clear appetite for it. It’d be amazing to see these characters return in another show to discover Heffalumps and Woozles or face the challenge of the Hundred Acre Wood flooding. ‘Disney’s: Winnie The Pooh’ is definitely an enchanting show for the family, but it has so much potential to be more than what it is.
Get your tickets here – https://winniethepoohshow.co.uk/
Theatre Scotland 
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