REVIEW - PLANT | WATERSIDE ARTS | 19/04/2025

If you go down to the woods today, who knows what you might find? A very busy squirrel, a lost and curious pigeon… and a beautifully crafted piece of visual theatre for little ones aged 3–6! Plant is the latest show from OftheJackel, the imaginative team behind SPLAT!, and it's a tender, funny tale of nature, change, and unexpected friendship. The show is specially designed to be deaf-accessible and features no spoken language—just pure storytelling through movement, music, and charm. I took my two children, Alice (7) and Leo (5), and we were completely drawn in by its warmth and gentle humour.

The story of Plant is a playful, physical tale of friendship, nature, and the joys (and frustrations!) of sharing. We begin in spring, as a busy squirrel scurries about collecting acorns. With an impressive stash tucked away in the tree, he discovers one giant acorn—clearly something special—and hides it in a secret spot. But he’s being watched... A nosy pigeon, lost and far from home, takes a shine to the squirrel’s collection and decides to help themself.

Cue a hilarious chase across the forest floor as squirrel and pigeon battle it out over the prized acorns. The children roared with laughter as the two animals squabbled, especially when the giant acorn was flung high into the air—and promptly lost. The pigeon tries to make amends by offering a flower, but the squirrel isn't having it. It’s only later, when the squirrel is quietly reading a sad story and the pigeon peeks over his shoulder, that their shared tears lead to an unexpected hug—and the beginnings of a friendship.

As the seasons pass, their bond grows. In summer, flowers bloom across the backdrop and buzzing bees lead the two new friends on a merry chase through the forest—and right into the audience! Alice was delighted when they stopped right beside her chair. They discover a hive and, after a sweet taste of honey, poor pigeon gets stung and ends up cooling off in an imaginary pond. The actors use clever movement to suggest splashing and swimming without a drop of water on stage.

Autumn brings swirling leaves and playful antics, as the duo enjoy tumbling in nature’s playground. Then comes winter, where the laughter reaches a high point—pigeon freezes solid from the cold, and squirrel’s increasingly desperate attempts to revive her had Leo in stitches. The physical comedy is top-notch here, and perfectly pitched for little ones.

Finally, we return to spring. A tree has grown where the giant acorn once fell, and now it’s full of new acorns—more than enough for two. This time, there’s no squabbling. The squirrel and pigeon have learned to share, and their friendship feels all the more rewarding for the journey they’ve taken.

It’s a wonderfully wordless tale, rich with emotional beats and silly moments, showing how understanding and kindness can blossom over time—just like a tree from a seed.

The set of Plant is a masterclass in imaginative, low-tech storytelling. Two wooden step ladders become trees, cleverly transformed with trailing vines, broomsticks standing in as branches, and picnic baskets tucked into the rungs to serve as hidden hollows for acorns—creating a rustic woodland feel that instantly invites young audiences into the heart of nature.

A simple cloth backdrop serves as a screen for projections that help move us through the seasons—blossoming flowers for spring, falling leaves in autumn, snowflakes drifting down in winter. These projections add a gentle, magical touch without ever overwhelming the action onstage. It's a great use of multimedia to complement a very physical, very visual story.

The costumes are just as creative—no full animal onesies here, and none needed! The squirrel wears earthy, layered clothing with a floppy brown woolly hat that subtly suggests those fuzzy ears, while the pigeon sports a scruffy grey outfit complete with pilot goggles and flaps that hint at feathers and flight. Both outfits suggest rather than shout, inviting the audience to use their imagination—a perfect approach for this age group. The costumes are all very simple but very effective—especially with the actors’ brilliant use of movement and sound to bring their animal characters to life. From scampering squirrel energy to the flapping, bobbing pigeon antics, each performer adds so much through physicality alone.

The soundtrack is used sparingly and with care, underscoring the action in a way that reflects the mood and the shifting seasons. It never distracts, instead supporting the story with gentle rhythms and whimsical touches that enhance the atmosphere without taking focus away from the performers.

The two performers carry the show with charm, boundless energy, and brilliant physical comedy. Without a single spoken word, they tell a full and engaging story—one that even the youngest audience members could easily follow. Their facial expressions and body language are so expressive that you always know exactly what they’re thinking, feeling, or plotting!

Their chemistry is lovely to watch as it shifts from suspicion to silliness to a heartwarming friendship. Moments of slapstick comedy—especially in the winter scene when pigeon keeps flopping over frozen—had the children howling with laughter. At the same time, the tender scenes, like the shared reading moment and the final gesture of sharing, are genuinely touching.

This is storytelling at its most playful and pure, and the performers’ commitment to their characters and their audience makes it all the more magical.

Plant is a gentle, joyful woodland adventure that celebrates the power of sharing, friendship, and the small wonders of the natural world. It’s a show that speaks volumes without a single word, proving that stories don’t need dialogue to be completely understood—or thoroughly enjoyed.

Alice and Leo were captivated from start to finish, with favourite moments ranging from buzzing bees to slippery slapstick. The show’s wordless format and visual storytelling make it especially accessible for a wide range of audiences, including D/deaf children and those on the autistic pathway like Alice and Leo. Leo even offered his own enthusiastic commentary throughout, clearly immersed in the action.

OftheJackel have shown how simplicity, creativity, and heart can bloom onstage just like the acorn at the centre of this charming tale.

A sweet, silly, squirrelly delight—Plant is proof that sometimes the biggest stories grow from the tiniest seeds. 🌱

If you would like more information about the show, please click the button below to visit OftheJackel's official website.

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Photo Credit - Charlie Flint

*Our tickets for this show were kindly gifted in exchange for an honest review.