The first thing you notice on entering the Kingfisher for Meg In The Magic Toyshop is all the blankets on the floor at the front of the stage, so children can sit down on these blankets together, with or without carers, or they can sit on the surrounding chairs with the big children (adults).

The two characters on stage, Meg the Doll (Merrilyn Greer) and Penny the Toy Soldier (Mia Ferraretto), both in resplendent costumes, not only work very hard to entertain the assembled children with songs and dance and story-time, but they also work very hard to include all of the children every step of the way.

Children are asked to choose which box should be opened to try to find a missing glove, Meg sometimes gets colours wrong so the children all shout out the correct answer. There’s a magic trick that has the big children and younger children gasping in equal measure. There is a bubble segment which proves to be very popular, and at one stage many of the children are holding the edges of a blanket which tosses a toy into the air only to be caught and tossed again several times. So it’s not just a show for children to watch. There are plenty of opportunities to be involved! And Meg and Penny make every effort to include the more reticent children.

I imagine that it takes a great deal of thought to create a show that appeals to an age range of 2-6. The Magic Toyshop is full of bright colours, the storyline is simple to follow, the messages in the songs and story are all positive. There is lots of physical action to keep the children interested. Perhaps the show is most perfectly pitched at the middle of that age range.

After the show is finished Meg and Penny wait around to have their photos taken with any of the children or parents who want one, at no extra cost.

The Magic Toyshop really is a magical place for children to visit this fringe!