Stan Middleton as Puppeteer, Lee Braithwaite as Pinocchio and Nick Holder as Geppetto in Pinocchio at Shakespeare’s Globe, London. Picture: Johan Persson

Pinocchio continues at Shakespeare’s Globe, London until 4 January 2026.

Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

This sassy, poignant, funny and beautifully staged new version of Carlo Collodi’s time honoured Pinocchio – with book and lyrics by Charlie Josephine and music and lyrics by Jim Fortune – is the best children’s show I’ve seen this year.

From the moment the five-piece band (seated on the upper level), led by MD Benjamin Holder, strikes up with a gloriously folksy melody you know you’re in for a treat and sit up a bit straighter.

And we’re clearly in Italy. The text is cheerfully studded with “bellissimo”, “prego” and “ciao”. When, shortly after the opening number, the audience was addressed as “poor people like you”, one small child, at the performance I saw, shouted back “We’re not poor” and made everybody laugh.

The atmosphere is warm and inclusive as the cast …

Read the rest of this review at: https://musicaltheatrereview.com/pinocchio-shakespeares-globe/