Fantastic Mr Fox - Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

This family favourite, written by Roald Dahl, has been adapted for the stage by Sam Holcroft as a thoroughly enjoyable musical.

Mr Fox loves nothing more than to go on raids to the farms for food for his friends and family. He has a talent and uses it for the good of others. The farmers on the other hand are greedy, they don’t want to share their produce with anyone, they want to take back control of their valley and stop Mr Fox stealing from them. They have a plan to sort him once and for all and start to put it into action.
Will Mr Fox and his friends survive? Can Mr Fox see the value of friendship and change his outlook? Will the greedy farmers outsmart the animals?

The staging is ingenious, revolving to create the different scenes and the lighting enhances this with great effect. Dressing actors as animals is always going to be a challenge, but this is beautifully overcome. Stylised ears on headbands and costumes that reflect the colour of the animal, along with superb movement and characterisation from the performers bring the animals to life.

Every actor on the stage pours 200% into their performance; the energy level never drops throughout the script and the musical numbers. The farmers double up as some of the animals, involving some lightening quick costume changes. It is impossible to pick out individual performances as everyone was a star.
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With intricate lyrics and a great score, this show has something for everyone. There are a sprinkling of jokes for the adults, gory descriptions for the children and a visual feast for everyone. This production is nothing short of fantastic, a perfect treat for the school holiday.