Review: I Wish at HOME is ‘the perfect introduction to musical theatre for all the family’

I Wish, a captivating solo performance reimagining familiar fables, is lighting up the stage at HOME MCR.

Creators Le Gateau Chocolat, Rachel Bagshaw, and Seiriol Davis are inviting children into HOME’s Theatre 2 over the next couple of weekends to get their first taste of theatre going in a welcoming atmosphere with a show designed for and centred around audiences aged 3 to 7.

The Wish Giver is the fairy godmother as you’ve never seen her before – more like a fairy big sister, if you will.

I Wish at HOME

We meet them on the eve of fulfilling their brumblefillionth wish, a huge milestone in the wish granting community, and to get us all up to speed we take a look through their magic memory book at three of their most accomplished wishes.

What we don’t see, however, is what became of those people after their wish was granted.

Is everything truly as good as it seems on the surface? Packed with back-to-back original musical numbers, I Wish puts forth the notion of finding true value within ourselves and each other.

Le Gateau Chocolat delivers an excellent performance of Effie, the fairy big sister, and the roles of those whose wishes they grant. Although solo on stage, Chocolat has a scene partner in the form of a recorded narrator, voiced by Julian Clary, who keeps them on the right track, as well as the audience of course!

Effie comes into the crowd, interacting and sitting with the spectators, and will ask for our thoughts and opinions which help shape the show.

I Wish was initially scheduled for performances in both London and New York but had to be cancelled due to Le Gateau Chocolat facing a brief period of ill health.

Fortunately for the Mancunian crowd, the production is making coming to HOME MCR and Le Gateau Chocolat’s passion for the project truly shines through.

A simple set design

Theatre 2 at HOME is an intimate black box theatre. The set is simple, with white frilly, cloud like mesh curtains dressing the back and sides. Effie flows between these as they make quick costume and accessory changes differentiating each role.

Chocolat dazzles on stage with costumes exactly as you would expect from a fairy big sister –  sparkling sequins galore! Setting the scene are projections of each mythical land lighting up the stage between each reminiscence down wish memory lane.

The performance lasts about 50 minutes so it a suitably bite-sized show introducing young audiences to the magic of musical theatre.

Accessible performances are taking place as follows, with a baby friendly and relaxed performance at 11am on Saturday 7^th December.

Tickets for I Wish at HOME

You can see I Wish at HOME Theatre 2 from Fri 29th Nov – Sun 8th Dec. 

You can get tickets by clicking here