The National Theatre of Scotland has, since its inception, done an excellent job of fulfilling its remit to provide live drama to all communities, and all age groups, throughout the country.
In this latest NTS tour, Nicola McCartney's adaptation of SR Harris's children's novel A Sheep Called Skye, accompanies Gregory Thompson's revived production of Molly Sweeney on a 22-venue journey, from Bladnoch Distillery (where it appears in association with Wigtown's book festival) to Ullapool, Auchtermuchty, and many places in between.
Scotland's children have had no shortage of fine theatre in recent years. Our children's companies have impressed consistently with such shows as Is This A Dagger? (the Wee Stories theatre company's wonderful one-man Macbeth.
The NTS's own elvish tale Gobbo, which toured the nation last year, was a gem.
The beauty of these great productions is their capacity to engage their young audiences in creatively theatrical, often surprising, forms of storytelling. By contrast, A Sheep Called Skye (which is aimed at children aged five to nine) looks quite conventional, almost dated.
Harris's shaggy sheep tale of the eponymous yew - the lone animal reared at an Isle of Skye bed and breakfast - and her crisis of identity is reminiscent of many a talking creature story, from Charlotte's Web to Babe. Andrew Panton's staging of it, complete with sheep puppets and musical numbers, is similarly nostalgic.
Although the play lacks the energy and imagination of the likes of Gobbo, it does boast a fine, four-strong cast in a panoply of entertaining characters. Hamish, the mad B&B owner who can't understand a word his overseas guests say, so orders them the default "full Scottish and a cup of tea", is a particular treat.
There is fear and trepidation as Skye (Ailie Cohen) goes on her journey of self-discovery, meeting hardcase Glaswegian sheep on the way. A pair of posh sheep comment that their friends went to a "French place called Abbatoir"; a fine joke, which sails over the heads of the young theatregoers.
It might not reach the heights of other shows for children, but, with its nice puppet work and lovely comic performances, A Sheep Called Skye deserves to be spared the mint sauce treatment.
Touring until December 1. For details visit www.nationaltheatrescotland.com
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