If you’re a kid who likes a challenge, this play is for you. The first hurdle will be coming to terms with slightly nightmarish appearance of the characters who open the show. Ten-year-old protagonist Brian’s pet rabbits, Andy and Pandy (homemade puppets resembling plucked turkeys wearing Halloween masks), look like the creation of a schizophrenic Neil Buchanan.Get past this initial test however, and you will be treated to one of the most sensitive and well-written family shows you are likely to see at the festival. Not shying away from presenting younger audiences with difficult themes, Leave Hitler To Me Lad manages to engage children without patronising them. Ultimately tracking a young boy’s disenchantment with life, this original play punches above its weight in terms of quality of writing, making a valuable addition to the canon of World War II children’s theatre. Its use of music is somewhat confused; since it’s far from a musical, the many songs seem somewhat superfluous. However, the 1950s-style tunes written especially for the play are evocative and, at times, moving, and certainly take nothing away from the show.The story follows Brian’s lonely life in the residential school which is his only home as slowly all of his friends are reunited with their families after the war and he is left behind. His struggle to maintain his faith in the idealistic image of his father which he has clung to over the years is poignant and beautifully acted by Jonah Kensett, whose excellent performance is the highlight of the show. With a cast made up mostly of children, it is surprising that the weaker performances were from older actors; however, on the whole the standard was good, with the difficult role of Pam tackled very well by Sophie Roberts.Although it doesn’t step over the line of its U rating, with its slightly complex chronology, allusions to domestic violence and challenging subject matter, pre-teen audiences will find a great deal of food for thought, but realistically, it is not ideal for much younger children. Though you might have guessed that from the title.
