HOLDEN & ARTS ASSOCIATES

“What a handsome display of design. What a sparkling flash of light. What heart-rending determination. It's hard to deny Branar's elegant How to Catch a Star, based on Oliver Jeffers's picture book, some extravagant praise...The final scenes find touching gestures of friendship, kindness and care. On several levels, then, it's a moving celebration of a child's triumph”

 “This visually stunning stage adaptation of Oliver Jeffers’s picturebook How to Catch a Star is a tonic after the chaos of the pantomime. Under the direction of Marc MacLochlainn, Branar Téatar do Pháistí eschew the easy option of reproducing the short text and embrace wordless storytelling instead, setting the inspiring, imaginative story against a magical twinkling score from Colm Mac Con Iomaire. Boy is brought to life by Suse Reibish’s exquisite puppetry, which Grace Kiely and Neasa Ní Chuanaigh animate with graceful gestures of their own. Visible throughout the performance, they create an extra layer of theatricality that older children will love unpacking...older kids with an appreciation for beauty (and their grown-up plus-ones) will easily get lost in it. If you have had enough of the flashing lights, popcorn and pandemonium of the panto, this is the show for you. ”

“It is a beautiful production, the set designed to perfection by Maeve Clancy. From the moment the play started, and the stars appeared on the back wall, the children were mesmerized... This is an incredibly moving piece of theatre...This show is the perfect antidote to the sensory overload of the traditional Panto. … For very small children it is an excellent introduction to going to the theatre. Branar pride themselves in their work for children and creating a piece of art that will amaze these little first- time theatre goers. The story will also resonate with the big kids in the audience as it is a tale of never giving up on your dreams. “

“This is a gentle, detailed and captivating show that avoids being sentimental. There are laugh out loud moments as well as the visual magic that Branar is well known for…It is a sweet study of childhood isolation, imagination and invention…. Marc Mac Lochlainn’s superb direction keeps the narrative moving but leaves plenty of room for reflection, breath and thought. The show is rhythmically perfect: there are no lulls. The puppetry by Neasa Ní Chuanaigh and Grace Kiely is seamless: the boy puppet is expressive and versatile and they have a lovely rapport with the audience… Every moment is stunningly crafted from a collaborative process that is clearly full of care and delicacy. Maeve Clancy’s set design is one of the stars of the show: she has created an exquisite miniature world that somehow leaves plenty of space for the imagination. The colours, shapes and objects are so pleasing. Like previous Branar shows I’m sure that ‘How to Catch a Star’ will be loved by many children the world over in the years to come. Even my cynical sixyear old son declared that he cried with joy at the end.”