Theatre

Natural History Museum THIS family-friendly retelling of Charles Darwin’s epic voyage on HMS Beagle is especially magical in such an appropriate setting.

The naturalist’s voyage of discovery is told with the help of a simple set, based around a wooden structure doubling as ship, cabin and rainforest. Bradley Foster plays Darwin with wide-eyed dynamism, reminding us he was only 22 when he headed off into the unknown.

We follow the shipmates through sun, rain and storms as they explore exotic climes. And we see the young scientist’s first inklings of what became his theory of evolution.

Serious themes are tackled,including that the Bible may have got creation wrong.

What shines is the intricate puppetry – from a giant tortoise to a pretty school of darting fishes. They create a sense of wonder a young Darwin must have felt. As his mentor said: “It’s the smallest things that can change the world.”

FRIEDA MORRISON