People’s Theatre Collective tours feelgood children’s production free to libraries across three counties

Animal Sanctuary

A Home for Harmony at Abingdon Library
Tuesday, August 6

Review by Jon Lewis

Tristan Jackson-Pate’s delightful 45-minute People’s Theatre Collective (formerly Cherwell Theatre Company) production of Oxford-based playwright Renata Allen’s A Home for Harmony, touring to libraries across three counties, attracted a large audience of very young children to Abingdon library. With two performances a day, the central role of Sam, a disabled woman living alone with her dog Bouncer, is being shared between Ruth Curtis who performed in Abingdon and Jenny Johns in Didcot earlier in the day. The funding enables audiences to see the play for free.

Sam and Bouncer (Rose Charmaine Camacho) have a Wallace and Gromit relationship, the dog demonstrating an uncanny, human skill set. On Sam’s low-key commands of ‘nudge’, Bouncer, a trained dog for the disabled, works a home-made contraption to serve herself food. She fetches letters from the front door and clothes from a washing machine that blows bubbles over the excited audience (designer, Raphaella Philcox). She’s learned to pull the jacket sleeves off Sam’s arms. She undertakes these tasks with a friendly howl. She’s rewarded by running after a plastic ball thrown by eager children sitting on a mat.

Human and dog have a settled life until a stray cat (named Harmony at the end of the drama) enters the house. This cat (Cleo Quesne) begins to usurp Bouncer’s privileges in the house, eating her food and playing with her toys. The narrative arc traces Bouncer’s journey towards acceptance, then friendship, between the two pets. Camacho and Quesne also provide the music – violin and guitar – singing the catchy songs with the children joining in (composer, Joshua Baldwin). When Sam unexpectedly disappears, Bouncer has the nous to attract the attention of a neighbour, Charlie (Quesne, doubling) who sorts out the problem.

It's a lovely touch when so many of the children volunteer to help Bouncer and Harmony in their various quests. They giggle noisily at the witty visual and verbal gags. They respond enthusiastically to questions from the cast.

It’s a feelgood production for the summer holidays, the children given a colouring-in pack linked to the play to continue their interaction with the story at home.