Balloon Boutique

The most interesting children's tv programmes are always the weird ones. The ones that look as if they could only conceivably have been dreamed up by people under the influence of powerful hallucinogenics. As two actors in caricature masks bound about on stage wrapping balloons around each other, it seems as if Balloon Boutique follows in a theatrical sub-category of this grand tradition.

It begins with an elderly woman gazing into a balloon and seeing an image of her younger self, whilst behind her an actor in a giant balloon mirrors the movements of its regular-sized counterpart. The plot then follows a romance between the girl and a young rocker with an impressive quiff. It's often unclear what is actually going on; at several points throughout, the girl takes out a 50's style radio, sets it down on the floor, points at it, and then proceeds to dance around as it plays 'Long Tall Sally'. Although children's entertainment often relies on repetition, this happens perhaps a couple of times too often, and sometimes it seems as if it's just to fill out the show's rather slender premise.

The balloon's however, are used to great effect. A single balloon is used to mimic a motorbike, a simple combination of two balloons to create a balloon baby, and, of course, there is an abundance of that children's entertainer's staple, the balloon dog. Quite how it all fits into a cohesive storyline is a mystery, but as the girl meets her older self at the close, it becomes clear. Good fun, and satisfyingly weird.