Reviewed by Harry Mottram
Kid Carpet & The Noisy Animals
Reviewed at The Wardrobe Theatre
Touring nationally until May
For ages 3-8

He’s noisy, he’s chaotic, he’s funny. Kid Carpet puts so much energy into Noisy Holiday that it’s impossible not to be caught up in his manic world of talking animals, rock music, flying milkmen and holidays. Noisy Holiday is a well-researched, highly creative and original take on the family holiday using four animals to represent four recognisable childhood characteristics. One is always saying they are bored, one wants to do everything including climbing into an aquarium to swim, one wants to eat everything, and one keeps disappearing, while Kid Carpet takes on the role of the ever resourceful parent desperate to keep everyone happy.

The Noisy Animals and Kid Carpet set off by car to Wales for a camping holiday with its inevitable toilet stops, soggy tents and the wonders of Barry Island. Using, film, animation, live music, audience participation, sing-along-songs, models and a variety of ingenious props, actor and musician Ed Patrick AKA Kid Carpet kept a packed auditorium at the Wardrobe Theatre engrossed. Noisy Holiday is a musical one-man drama using the journey of a family expedition to the misty hills of Cymru as its neat and ultimately satisfying narrative.

With lively graphics, numerous jokes, visual gags, and evocative lighting and sound effects, Kid Carpet packs in a huge amount of material with barely time to catch his breath in the seemingly unstructured but carefully crafted one hour show. And one of its strengths is to incorporate the audience in his holiday adventure whether it is the ‘guess the vegetable’ game or throw-a-ball-at-the-tin-cans activity: his infectious enthusiasm seizes the attention of three-year-old children to older ones and their parents.

Inter-woven into the drama is Kid Carpet’s musical prowess which adds an extra dimension to the show as he takes the microphone and becomes the DIY-punk rock performer that lies at his very core. With simple but effective lyrics for songs such as ‘I Want to go go go go go go go go on Holiday’, ‘Rollercoaster’, ‘Swimming With The Fishes’ and ‘Get In The Car’ he propels a play for children into a musical event. Parents will recognise the home truths behind the characters and dialogue, while children will enjoy the madcap and irreverent nature of the play.

This review was originally published on HarryMottram.co.uk