During the first lockdown in 2020, one of the saviors for family theatre were the Little Angel Theatre, who produced a series of adaptations for YouTube of popular children’s books. And one of the highlights from this intimate Islington puppet theatre was Jon Klassen’s I Want My Hat Back. Fast forward nearly two years and this show, along with Klassen’s other two Hat texts (This is Not My Hat and We Found A Hat), has made its way to the stage in a production that has maintained much of the charm of those early shorts.

Narratively our trio are simple. I Want My Hat Back concerns a bear and their search for the eponymous piece of clothing, This is Not My Hat follows a fish who has stolen one and is being pursued by its own, and We Found a Hat concerns two turtles who put their friendship over the ownership of a hat they find. The simplicity though gives room for these narratives to shift from comedy to thriller to drama to even hints of horror (don’t steal a hat from something larger than you).

There is a cardboard stage in the middle of the stage and we can see the two fiercely talented performers (Imogen Khan and Joe Boylan - talents worth keeping an eye on) move between puppets. Multiple versions of the same characters are used, some to give a cinematic quality with close ups, others to relay characters in motion (such as the bear running). These are fast-moving takes on the stories that give the audience a big smile, particularly the playful use of music and occasional audience interaction.

There is a darkness here amongst the humour. As the Little Angel Theatre puts it ‘in the first two stories it is implied that small animals have been eaten by bigger animals (off stage)’. A little voice behind us at the end of This is Not My Hat could be heard saying “I didn’t like that one as much”. But this is all a finely balanced act, with the final story the gentlest of the trio. And as long as parents go in with their eyes open then this is a perfect treat for the family.

It should be applauded that this show doesn’t feel the need to stretch out any of its narratives. I felt lucky to had a trio to enjoy, even if the high point comes early with the sensational I Want My Hat Back. But this is a cracking production, one that it is heartening to see extended beyond a lockdown-timed diversion.