Review: Star of Wonder at the Unity Theatre *****

Covid was a calamity for many, and in many different ways. And one casualty of the pandemic was the Unity’s wonderful annual Christmas show for young audiences.

So it’s fantastic that five years after its last truly festive offering for little ones and their families, Christmas has come to the theatre’s stage once again – and in such magical style.

Star of Wonder was first presented at Theatre Porto in Ellesmere Port in 2022, and was due to come to the Unity last season. That didn’t happen, but 12 months on it has now happily crossed the water to entertain and enchant audiences (of all ages incidentally) in Hope Place.

A collaboration between Porto and those international imps from Teatro Pomodoro, and with an atmospheric soundscape from Patrick Dineen, it’s a blissful hour of inventive, wordless theatre rendered in mime, music, clowning, slapstick, shadow puppetry and expressive storytelling.

Three friends (and a teddy bear) set out to follow a star using unconventional transport, and brave desert sandstorms, intense mirage-inducing heat, attacks by feral sheep and a pair of stealthy shepherds – think Wilson and Keppel with Betty sensibly staying out of it.

In the cast’s hands and under director Nina Hajiyianni’s expert eye, the disparate storytelling elements come together to form a beguiling escapade underscored by Dineen’s exquisite score which morphs from fairground Wurlitzer to evocative pipes and Oriental mystery.

Above and top: Star of Wonder.

Cathy Cross’s canopy set is beautifully lit by Phil Saunder, and there’s an enchanting rendering of the night sky with the Milky Way twinkling away in all its glory (and having once camped out in the Sahara, I can attest that in the desert the night sky is quite the sight).

There’s also a positive message around faith, fortitude, friendship and forgiveness within the story, but it’s gently delivered.

Liverpool-based arts company RAWD (Random Acts of Wildness Disability) is accessibility consultant for the production, and there’s a specially designed ‘touch tour’ for youngsters in the foyer where they can explore textured materials and props (in miniature) which feature in the show ahead of curtain up.

The only real disappointment is that the show is on a strictly limited run, of which only three performances are open to the public. If there are any seats left for the final two shows this Saturday, don’t miss out.