SHORT KING
By Gordon Neill		Sweet Action Theatre Kids - Toronto, ON
V.32 - Kids Venue - MTYP - Mainstage 
The King has banned shadows from his entire kingdom. It hasn't helped. SHORT KING is an adventure about a tiny ruler with a very big grief, and the quest that forces him to finally face it.

Featuring shadow puppetry and live audience participation, it's a wildly theatrical show about loss, courage and why our shadows are nothing to be afraid of. For brave young adventurers and the grown-ups beside them.

Director:
Gemma Soldati

Show Info:
45 Mins minutes
Genre:
Play-Dramedy

Audience:
Kid Friendly

This show explores grief and loss through puppetry and shadow play. It includes the death of a parent and a beloved pet; nothing is shown graphically.

Thu July 16 10:00 AM
Fri July 17 11:45 AM
Sat July 18 2:45 PM
Tue July 21 10:00 AM
Wed July 22 11:45 AM
Thu July 23 3:00 PM
Fri July 24 1:00 PM
Sun July 26 11:30 AM

SHORT KING

Sweet Action Theatre Kids—Kids Venue – MTYP – Mainstage

SHORT KING opens with a touching animation that wordlessly establishes the show’s premise, Pixar-esque in its emotional beats and musical accompaniment; an effective setup for a children’s show billed as an examination of grief and loss.

Unfortunately, the promise of that opening isn’t fully realized, as the rest of the performance did not have the same clarity, and the allegory for overcoming depression was likely lost on the young audience.

Audience participation is a major part of the experience, but the sparse weekday morning crowd proved a challenge. The young audience seemed hesitant about when, and whether, they were expected to join in, and without stronger guidance from the performer, several interactive moments felt awkward. The show also appeared unprepared to adapt when participation was limited, causing some sequences to lose momentum.

The performer claimed a lot of research on grief and bereavement went into the development of the show, but little of that came through in the rough opening performance.There were signs that technical issues may also have contributed to the uneven pacing: story beats occasionally felt disconnected, and the performance ultimately ran over its scheduled time.

The ambition behind SHORT KING is admirable. With tighter storytelling, more confident audience management, and a little more polish, this concept has the potential to become something genuinely moving. As it stands, however, the execution falls short of its considerable promise.

Ashley Frantik