The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is a classic French story that has been translated into over 500 languages and dialects since it was first published in 1943. It has been delighting children for the better part of a century, and teaching them about human nature, love, and loss. Like me, you probably had it read to you as a child, and if you have children, you will likely read it to them.

The book is a cultural phenomenon, so a show based on the story is bound to attract a significant audience. This production by Broadway Entertainment Group has been touring the world since opening in Paris in 2015 and has wowed audiences in over 20 countries since then. Their current stop is at the London Coliseum Theatre, where I attended their performance on Tuesday night, along with my wife and 10-year-old daughter.

In case you need a refresher, the story starts with an aviator, crashed in the desert. He meets a young prince who appears from nowhere and asks him to draw him a sheep. The little prince then tells the man of his travels from his tiny asteroid to different planets, including Earth, and of his meeting various peculiar adults along the way. With each encounter he learns different lessons about life and what it is to be human.

The show is narrated entirely by one person, Chris Mouron, a very charismatic French woman who not only tells the story beautifully and has a wonderful singing voice but is the co-director as well. The show has no dialogue, and very little narration, with most of the story told by Marie Jumelin’s incredible visuals combined with amazing contemporary dance, choreographed by Anne Tournié and stunning music by Terry Truck.

The huge stage – the biggest in London  – has no fixed scenery or props, aside from those the performers bring on and off, such as a box or a ball, and the rear wall and floor are giant projection screens which allow the scenery to move and flow with the dance. Marie Jumelin’s video scenery uses stunning visuals that at times make one feel like the characters are inside an abstract painting, and at others give the illusion of running, floating, flying. A minimalist set with maximum impact.

The interaction between the performers is beautiful. The little prince (Dylan Barone) and the aviator (Aurelien Bednarek) perform such a touching dance together, emphasising the curious innocence of the Prince and the special connection between the two. The Rose, portrayed in human form by Marie Menuge, embodies love and responsibility, teaching the Prince to care for another. The Rose’s dance with the Prince is one of the highlights of the show, blending beauty, vulnerability, and stunning aerial acrobatics.

As I’ve said, the dances are incredible, and Anne Tournié’s choreography really is breathtaking, but… there were a lot of children present at the performance, and many of them seemed to struggle with the longer, more abstract sequences. The narration is entirely in French, with surtitles high above the enormous stage, which is going to present a serious barrier to any child that struggles with reading. My daughter is half French and also a confident reader, so she was fine, but there were younger children behind us and the 6 and 7-year-old could not stay still for most of the show.

If you’re bringing a child of any age, two things are essential: read the book with them beforehand, and, if they don’t speak French, make sure they are confident readers. In fact, the first point goes for adults as well – read the book before attending the show, as the production assumes that everyone knows the story well enough, to not need everything explained.

Like the book, The Little Prince is beautiful, moving, and at times surreal. But ultimately, it is a rare and unique spectacle that lovers of the story should not miss. Children may struggle at times, but adults will be enchanted. As I told my daughter, it is important to just enjoy it, without trying too hard to understand everything. After all, as the Little Prince tells us, “It is only with the heart that one can see clearly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

The Little Prince will be announcing more global dates soon.

Further info and tickets at thelittleprincetour.com

Words by Nick Barr

Photos by Broadway Entertainment Group