Dance, Z-Arts, 18 April 2026
Mika and the Polar Bear is a mesmerising family show that combines dance, animation and puppetry to create a magical world. Mika is swept away in a storm, and while trying to get back to her dad meets an array of animals each affected in some way by environmental disasters. This culminates in an unexpected friendship with a polar bear with whom Mika navigates the icy seas to find home.
Z-Arts is a lovely venue for theatre, with comfy seats with arms rests that can be left upright so children can nestle into their grown-ups during any scary scenes. The staff are warm and genuine, and the cafe bar serves decent food and drinks for children and adults. Elsewhere in the centre there is a children’s library, an immersive Alice in Wonderland exhibition for 0-8s and an escape room (which incidentally I’d also highly recommend, probably for children aged around 8+).
Back to Mika and the Polar Bear, this was a charming production by the Coalesce Dance Theatre and a great introduction to dance for young children. The show started with Mika sitting on a simple rug centre-stage which made way for a couple of rocky peaks later in the story. This minimalist design was enhanced by digital animation both as a backdrop and on the floor which was very effective and really brought the stage to life. The puppetry used for the animals – a fox, a gull, a fish and the eponymous polar bear – delighted the audience young and old alike. My own personal favourite was the fish, swishing from side to side and utterly transfixing as it seemingly jumped in and out of the icy seas.
The cast of just two made this production a simple but effective portrayal of friendship and resilience. When both Mika and her dad performed in unison it was beautiful to watch, with each dancer perfectly in tune with the other. The puppets and a snowy finale delighted the young audience whose whispered questions throughout demonstrated just how engaging the story was for little minds. A delight.
Pippa Hebborn-Gibson for Canal St Media
Review: Mika and the Polar Bear at Z Arts.
