The Little Prince is a timeless French children’s tale that looks at universal themes, such as loneliness, friendship, loss and soul searching. When Antoine de Saint-Exupery had the original novella published in 1943, he already had a string of banned works in his repertoire and his reputation as a controversial writer preceded him. The Little Prince (original title Le Petit Prince) turned out to be his most successful work and is the most adapted and translated out of all his books globally. So it was no surprise when Liminal Space Theatre Company became the latest group to tell this story on stage through their own adaptation. We were, however, not prepared for the magical journey that emerged and enabled us to switch off for 75 minutes.
To tap into the themes starting from a child-like discovery of art and play using blackboards and chalk to write and draw with alongside clowning, was an interesting choice to begin with. This set the tone for all that was to come, as it became very clear as soon as the Aviator character arrived on stage that it was not just him telling his version of the story, but a strong ensemble team that took on many roles, as well as elements of his mind as a child moving through to adult. The way they cleverly matched The Aviator as he drew many images in his notebook so the audience could see what he was drawing was simple, but innovative as it showed how he saw the world at the time as a child, right up until he met the prince. It made what is small in a material way, into something that is bigger than the whole universe itself. Simple, concise and playful. Stripping away all that was no longer needed to create a beautiful blank canvas of joy.
It was a huge task, but under the direction of Angharad Ormond, a different world was created, which involved clowning, physical theatre, absurdist theatre, dance and puppetry. Together, the whole team didn’t just make a theatre play, but an experience that felt immersive and heightened the senses in such a way that it became accessible to all, including those who were neurodivergent, hypersensitive and more. The usage of puppets, music and different coloured circular lights on sticks to create each planet the prince travelled to was extremely detailed amidst the simplicity of little to no set.
The cast were also extremely strong in their character choices. Each one was different, vibrant and had a sense of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland to them in terms of the craziness of each planet visited. Highlights included Thisakya Dias’ charming Little Prince, Matt Tylianakis’ Aviator and Cicelly Halkes-Wellstead’s Rose and Geographer.
Dias had the perfect amount of innocence required for the titular role, as well as a sensitive grasp on loneliness and wanting to find a special connection with all around her. Her approach was energetic and flexible as each character interacted with her and peeled back another layer like an onion skin.
Tylianakis’ Aviator was an engaging narrator and clearly showed his physical skills well, as he also merged into the ensemble with ease, taking on part of the King’s body, plus a section of the stand the Geographer’s book was placed on. Each discovery he made about the prince was full of wonder and awe, which engaged the children watching due to the simplicity of his character development, making it relatable.
As for Halkes-Wellstead, she not only took on the snooty haute-couture French rose and created a flower that placed her standards above the friendship the prince craved, but in the next few scenes, she switched into the somewhat manic Geographer, who had an element of a mad professor as she placed each detail discovered about a place in the book with precision. Her wit and physicality showed great differentiation between each transition and each role was clearly portrayed.
The Little Prince is a show that is different from any other version I have personally seen over the years. It is magical, enchanting and poetic, visually and otherwise. One to watch.
Review by Sascha Cooper
The Little Prince is one of the most popular books of all time and has been translated into over 300 languages since its publication 75 years ago. Styled as a children’s story, this multi-layered fable will entrance children and grown-ups alike.
Cast:
hisakya Dias – The Little Prince
Matt Tylianakis – The Aviator
Flavia Di Saverio – Ensemble/King
Paul Graves – Ensemble/Lamplighter
Cicely Halkes-Wellstead – Ensemble/Rose/Geographer
Simona Hughes – Ensemble/Tippler/Fox
James Johnston – Ensemble/Conceited Man/Snake
Janet South – Ensemble/Businessman
Creative Team:
Director and Co-Adapter – Angharad Ormond
Sound Designer and Co-Adapter – Paul Graves
Movement Director – Nevena Stojkov
Set Designer and Puppetry Consultant – Issac Insley
Costume Designer – Roxanne Ivy Roberts
Lighting Designer – Samuel Littley
Composer – Tamara Douglas-Morris
Animation – Catherine Shaw
Puppetry Design – Paul Graves and Angela Large
Costume Assistants – Angela Large and Emanuel Dawit
Stage Manager – Ragan Keefer
Deputy Stage Manager – Isabel Quiroz
Lighting Operator – Catherine Shaw
Sound Operator – Matthew Ibbotson
Get-in Support – Laurence Tuerk
Production Photography – Robert Piwko
THE LITTLE PRINCE
The Cockpit
9 to 12 April 2025
