Babe the Sheep Pig

We took our seats on a Sunday afternoon along with families with excited children to watch this delightful play. Based on the children’s story that was then made famous by the 1995 film, this enchanting tale worked well as a stage play and at just over an hour, was the perfect length for its target audience.

The set comprised of an area of green with hay bales and fencing to create the sheep trial course. The trailer was ingeniously created so that only the back was in view with a ramp that folded down for the sheep hustling scene. It was very effective, as was the interior of the farmhouse where some scenes took place. The village fete looked especially lovely with stalls and produce on sale. The cast wore a base of leggings and tops in one colour, with very sweet knitted hats with ears to depict the dogs, pig, sheep etc.

Farmer Hogget used a great array of grunts to enhance his occasional dialogue and really looked the part. He had a lovely calming demeanour that suited the part and made his character very believable.   His wife was suitably animated and chatty which made for a lovely contrast.

Babe was adorable all in pink with a knitted hat and ears. Despite her youth, she handled the part with maturity and delivered her lines confidently.  Her interactions with the sheep in the second half were particularly well acted.

Likewise, Fly, the dog, communicated clearly and achieved a good connection with the young audience. With Fly’s encouragement, everyone enjoyed joining in to remind Babe of the sheep’s secret password.

The sheep were a tight knit group who reacted well to the unfolding events. Dialogue was delivered as an occasional ‘baa’ and they looked great in their woolly hats and jumpers.

Many of the cast, young and old, played several characters and this worked well. The Cockerel was particularly entertaining. 

There was good use of music, from the instantly recognisable ‘One man and his dog’ theme to a very comical ‘A Team’ theme, as the sheep trotted their way round the course to Babe’s directions.  The live TV commentary was extremely authentic and amusing.

This was a delightful little tale which was just right for the young audience. It was directed with skill, charm and good humour and very much appreciated by the audience.

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