Enter a magical, snowy wonderland with new Doncaster children's show, Whisker's First Winter

Whisker’s First Winter at Cast theatre is a new production from Odd Doll, a Yorkshire company founded in 2012 by Kathleen Yore and Rebekah Caputo.

The show, aimed at children aged two to six, brings together puppetry, original music and illustrated animation.

The playful production follows Whisker - a curious cub who creeps out of his cave to discover that his snuggly home has been transformed into a shimmering forest.

Youngsters will join Whisker’s adventure as he journeys through a wintry wonderland - skidding on an icy lake, sculpting shapes in the snow and encountering adorable animals along the way.

Kathleen said: “I just think it feels quite an important thing to create what will be children’s first theatrical experience.

“I’m excited by that excitement and the anticipation they have for coming to the theatre for the first time. It’s our biggest, most ambitious project so far.

“The set is huge, really beautiful – we’re not bringing down the quality of the work because it’s for little kids. I think the adults will enjoy it just as much as the kids.

“It’s a celebration of the natural world in the winter time, how it feels when you see something beautiful for the first time – that sense of awe and peace when you see snow in the sky for the first time. It’s about the beauty of nature.”

TV star Natalie on stage in musical

Odd Doll also work with sick children at Sheffield Children’s Hospital through Theodoara’s Children’s Charity. Kathleen plays a Giggle Doctor, touring the wards to cheer up young patients by interacting and playing with them and their families.

She said: “It’s the best job in the world. You can see it really makes a difference that we’ve really affected that family – being silly and having fun is so important.”

She said the show has similar aims: “We want children to feel special and interact with the world. They take their shoes off and come on to the stage and when they touch things it affects the world.

“They all blow out a breath and the whole scenery will be moving in the wind. They will see the illustrations and the characters going across the set.

“I like the idea that children are part of that world and affect it.”

Kathleen added; “We’ve done a lot of work with deaf children an they’ll be excited by the puppets and the visuals. We want it to be accessible to all children.

“The show’s not Christmassy – it’s more a celebration of the season, which is good for families that are not particularly Christmas-minded.

“Because there are going to be a lot of mothers and toddlers, the whole of the space is about letting toddlers explore the environment.

“The children are going to be welcomed in by the puppeteers. They will come through the trees. The puppeteers work in silence but they are like silent clowns, exploring the world and getting children to touch things and get that sense of excitement.

“The children sit on fluffy snowballs surrounded by trees.”

The aim is for children to have fun but also to relax and enjoy the story.

Whisker’s First Winter is at Cast in Doncaster from December 7 to 29.

Box office: visit the theatre on Waterdale, call 01302 303 959 or visit www.castindoncaster.com

Theatre company website: www.odddoll.co.uk