Bristol Old Vic
An inventive production crammed full of puppets, sword fights and rousing melodies shrieks with life

It’s all aboard this Christmas with Jake Brunger and Pippa Cleary’s musical version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel, starting at a storytelling festival in a Bristol pub. Comedian Jayde Adams, as the landlady, welcomes us with the familiar jesting of her standup sets: “Alright, let’s get to know the room …” Eventually, the tale takes hold and time zips back to the 18th century, where bright-eyed, 13-year-old Jim Hawkins, reimagined here as a girl and played by Adryne Caulder-James, dreams of following in her late father’s footsteps and setting sail.

Luckily for her, that’s the way the story goes. Jim assembles a motley crew of sailors to search for the treasure once hidden by notorious pirate Captain Flint. Unbeknownst to them, they are joined on the ship by Long John Silver (a cackling Colin Leggo) and his evil posse, desperate to steal the gold for themselves. This sets the stage for an adventure crammed full of double bluffs, backstabbing and swashbuckling sword fights.