Bear hunting on Shaftesbury Avenue

Shaftesbury Avenue might not be traditional bear-hunting territory, but young adventure-seekers would be well advised to beat a path this summer holidays to the Lyric Theatre where Michael Rosen’s much-loved classic We’re Going on a Bear Hunt has been imaginatively translated to the stage by Sally Cookson (until 8 September).

The story follows an intrepid family who surmount various obstacles — long grass, oozy mud, a deep, cold river, a swirling snowstorm and a big dark forest — in their quest to find a bear. When they finally track him down in a gloomy cave, they take one look at his shiny wet nose and goggly eyes and scarper, hotfooting it back the way they came to take refuge at home under a large pink eiderdown.

All this is brought vividly to life by a sextet of performers that includes an impressively lifelike puppet-baby and an unusually benign-looking brown bear. Rosen’s rhythmic, repetitive text, which so captivates young listeners, is at the core of the production but equally engaging is a mix of catchy tunes, comic dance routines and audience participation.