It is heartening to see quality children's literature making such a big impact on London theatre this Christmas. In addition to adaptations of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials at the National and David Almond's Skellig at the Young Vic, along swims Why the Whales Came, based on the touching 1985 novel by Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo.
The temptation here might have been to burden this essentially simple story with special effects, not least with cumbersome replicas of the eponymous creatures that make their entrance late in the day, but the team from the admirable Theatre Alibi has chosen a far better option, that of stimulating their audience's imagination.
On a set covered in the shells of boats, oars and fishing nets (credit to designer Dominie Hooper), another place, time and state of mind are lovingly evoked. The location is a tiny fishing village in the Scilly Isles, and events unfold to a backdrop of the looming First World War.
Not that 10-year-olds Gracie and Daniel are initially concerned with the threat from Germany. They have far more pressing worries, such as the fact that the best place to sail their model ships is rather closer to the forbidden cottage of the mysterious Birdman than their parents would like.
One of the chief enchantments of Morpurgo's book is the skill with which he conjures up the sense of a tightly-knit community in a more innocent world. Gracie and Daniel work hard helping their fishermen fathers after school, but there is time left to roam over hill and sand dune. Directors Nikki Sved and Greg Banks convey this crucial sense of freedom, aided by tremendous performances from Holly Hutchings and Benjamin Warren, adult actors who play the curious children with utter conviction.
There is good work, too, from the other members of the five-strong ensemble, especially from Jordan Whyte as Gracie's mother, who learns from her daughter that rumour and superstition are best eschewed in favour of the truth. The atmospheric contributions from Harry Napier's on-stage musician add to the already charged atmosphere. This is festive family entertainment of the very highest order.
Why The Whales Came
