The Boy Who Cried Ninja

There’s only one thing missing from The Boy Who Cried Ninja, a theatre show for kids, and that’s a bigger audience.

It’s got everything else – humour, plenty of interaction, bright colours, fun physical actions, a simple moral story, puppets and playfulness. It’s also got plenty of seats still to fill to create a happy holiday vibe.

Ninja is aimed at kids aged four to 10, and judging by the reaction from the modestly sized but responsive crowd on the afternoon I went, this is the age group occupying South Africa’s rapidly diminishing patch of moral high ground.

The story by Cape Town’s Alex Latimer was inspired by Aesop’s fable The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Lie too many times and nobody will believe you when you tell the truth, in other words.

Except that our hero here is Tim (Taryn Bennett) who doesn’t lie at all. Well not at first. But when strange things keep happening and his parents never believe him, Tim decides it’s easier to lie.

James Cairns and Toni Morkel play Tim’s rather dorky parents as well as the other characters who are creating havoc in his life, like an astronaut, a pirate and the black-clad Ninja. There’s a very un-scary crocodile and octopus too, but absolutely nothing that will freak out even the most sensitive little nipper.

The story has been adapted for the stage by Jenine Collocott, who also directs the show and designed the props and lighting. The set by Alistair Findlay is bright as a colouring book, with simple depictions of a house and shed that slide on and off as the scenes change. It’s slick and professionally presented, and no doubt all done on a shoestring budget.

Bennett is brilliant at involving the kids in the show, drawing them in and asking their advice when Tim’s parents keep urging him to “tell the truth.” She’s convincing as the gangly young boy, even if one kid did yell out to ask “aren’t you too old to be playing with toys?” She swings from excited movements that get us laughing to a glum face that extracts our sympathy.

Cairns has a face made for kids’ theatre with his square mouth and animated eyes, although I’d like to see a bit more swashbuckling pizazz from his pirate. Morkel doesn’t get much to do except cluck disapprovingly when Tim tells his tall tales, but she does it well, before enjoying herself immensely as the spaceman.

As a non-parent, I’d have thought that presenting a moral dilemma to kids this young is always going to be a risk, but perhaps they’re too young to have learned to lie yet. Don’t worry, it’ll come. But for now, you can stave off those inevitable days with The Boy Who Cried Ninja, because the team shows how lying never improves a situation and the kids who urged Tim to tell the truth probably felt very smug indeed.

Then the giant balls came into play, jolly music took over, and the nippers shrieked and yelled and jiggled in delight. Merry Christmas, everybody.

The Boy Who Cried Ninja runs at Sandton’s Auto and General Theatre on the Square at kid-friendly times until December 22. Tickets from Computicket or 011-883-8606.

Photos: Philip Kuhn.