Katherine MacAlister is enthused by the lively cast of a children’s classic

While we were been brought up on Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl, our children will certainly remember Julia Donaldson, who brought us famous children’s books The Gruffalo, The Snail and the Whale, and Tiddler.

Julia Donaldson’s works have also been adapted enormously successfully on to the stage, none more so than Room On The Broom, her wonderful children’s story about a witch’s adventures on her broomstick complicated by various hitch-hiking animals.

Having wowed the West End, this most recent Tall Stories production is now touring the UK and coming to the Oxford Playhouse from Tuesday, just in time for the end of the school holidays.

Bringing it to life is Luke Mcconnell, playing the bird, dragon and the narrator, who has grabbed the relentlessly cheerful and energetic production with both hands.

Having watched from the wings as the understudy last time around, Luke auditioned and won the parts he had long coveted: “This tour is one of the biggest international tours there is,” he says, already looking forward to the US and Asia legs which will take the cast to Las Vegas, Miami, Singapore and Dubai.

In it for the long haul, the 27-year-old is already a children’s theatre veteran, having worked on shows such as Peter Pan and Little Red Riding Hood.

“Tall Stories is such a brilliant company to work for, they really bring the best out in you,” he says. “But I’ve put in the time, so now I’m going to enjoy the work. It’s such a wonderful opportunity.”

So what does it take to excel at children’s theatre and what’s the secret to keeping his young audience happy?

“Keeping them enthralled. But if you look out at our audience they are always grinning like Cheshire cats. Room On The Broom is also a story that both kids and their parents know and love, so we have to be very accurate to the book or the younger kids spot it straight away. You know they are listening and engaged and they recognise the iconic characters instantly.

“In terms of attention spans, Room on The Broom is also very snappy because it’s based on a 3+ age range. It’s just over an hour long but we pack a lot in so mentally it’s very demanding.

“And it’s a happy show. It’s not Hamlet.”

As for the puppetry aspect, Luke learned on the job and says it looks much easier than it actually is. “Synchronising the lip syncing and the mechanics is quite difficult and very physical and as I’m also the narrator, there’s lots of running around,” he smiles. “But it keeps your energy up.”

Hailing from Belfast, Luke now lives in London. He got into acting through the Youth Musical Theatre UK, where he was inspired by the talent and creativity of his peers, leaving Northern Ireland for drama school in Scotland at 18.

So is children’s theatre his niche? “No, but I like working with children. They seem to like me and I’m enjoying it. But I’ve worked at The Globe and done lots of different things as well. It means you can be a pirate one day, Hamlet the next.

“But more than anything I went to drama school to be a performer and that’s what I’m doing.”

Where&When 
Room On The Broom
Oxford Playhouse
Tues Aug 25 - Sat Aug 29
01865 305305 oxfordplayhouse.com