Little Robin Red Vest

Little Robin Red Vest opens at the Burton Taylor Studio in the Oxford Playhouse on Wednesday 2 December, running through to Sunday 3 January. It's a new puppet show for children aged 2 to 6 and their families, based on the Christmas book by Jan Fearnley. Victoria Briggs adapted and directed it in association with Filskit Theatre.

The story starts on a frosty evening a week before Christmas. Little Robin washes and irons seven warm vests for the chilly nights ahead, and as the days pass, he hands them one by one to the shivering animals he meets. By Christmas Eve, he's left cold and alone with nothing left to wear, until a mysterious friend arrives to reward his kindness with a perfect little red vest. It's a simple, gentle tale about kindness and giving, and the production brings it to life with original songs, puppetry and integrated Makaton.

Every performance is a Relaxed Performance, so it's a good one to take the little ones to if you're worried about them sitting still or getting overwhelmed. The show runs 55 minutes with no interval, which is about the right length for that age group.

There are three shows a day — 10:00am, 12:00pm and 3:00pm — except for Friday 4 December, when there's no 12:00pm performance. Tickets are £16 full price and £12 for concessions, which covers students, people with disabilities, those on benefits and under-16s, with a £1.50 booking fee per transaction. The Burton Taylor Studio is inside the Oxford Playhouse on Beaumont Street, OX1 2LW.