Here at The Family Stage, we are perennially on a crusade to bring you news of the finest family theatre to grace this realm. Our latest quest saw Mummy navigate the Northern Line on a perilous journey to the legendary Polka Theatre, where the Y C Chan Theatre has transformed into (a beautifully air conditioned) Camelot for the summer.
Written by Marietta Kirkbride and directed by Nel Crouch, Arthur is (as the title suggests) an adaptation of the Arthurian legend, aimed at ages 6 to 12. The year is 2026 – the Winter Solstice to be precise – and Grace (Gurjot Dhaliwal) is in A&E with a sizeable piece of Lego stuck up her nose. Not that anyone cares. She’s been left in the waiting room by herself while everyone focuses on her brother and his broken arm (for which Grace may be ever so slightly responsible).
Suddenly a mysterious figure named Merlin (Rose Wardlaw) appears, with talk of a prophecy about someone important by the name of Grace. It must be someone else, of course, because Grace is most certainly not important – She can’t even interest anyone in her nasal woes. But somehow she finds herself following Merlin and all of a sudden she’s stumbling into the Summer Solstice 526AD. Here she meets a young boy named Arthur (Giles Carden), who’s desperate to fulfil his dream of becoming a Knight. Together, the unlikely pair are sent on an adventure to retrieve Excalibur and chase the course of Britain’s future forever.
Filled with original songs (by Harry Blake) and a heavy dash of silliness, it’s a really enjoyable production that works well for the suggested age range (as well as being genuinely entertaining for adults too). It’s hard to escape comparisons with Spamalot, and there is certainly a whiff of Python style surrealist humour in this production, particularly in scenes featuring the comedy duo of Knights, Lancelot (Adam Mirsky) and Gawain (Megan Vaughan-Thomas, who is also hilarious as a Heely wearing Lady of the Lake). But there’s rather more heart to this carefully crafted tale, that puts Grace and Arthur’s forced friendship to the test.
The narrative is compelling, striking the perfect balance between pure entertainment and a set of characters you can find yourself invested in, as well some nice but uncomplicated morals about friendship and doing the right thing. Nothing is forced here at all. The messaging flows naturally from the story and, refreshingly, there’s no attempt at shoehorning in audience participation just because it’s a family show. Even the use of classic children’s theatre tricks like bubble machines are utilised in a tongue in cheek fashion, as the performers comically break the fourth wall when called upon to become part of the scenery. There’s even some accidental political commentary, in a scene about leadership which feels rather more relevant right now than perhaps was originally intended.
A true Holy Grail of family theatre, this is one of those productions that will appeal to the entire family – including those children at the top end of the suggested age recommendation and potentially even beyond. Playing at Polka for the next month, it’s well worth a quest to South West London. And if that trek proves too treacherous for those Knights who hail from closer to Camelot, you have another chance to catch it at The Egg, Theatre Royal Bath this winter.
Arthur plays at Polka Theatre from 2 July to 9 August 2026. We received a complimentary ticket to the press performance on 27 June.