Theatre-Rites is one of those companies that, in recent years, have transformed children's theatre and produced shows for the under-fives that are as challenging and theatrically inventive as any of the best work produced by leading groups. The company has pioneered object animation and created shows in which types of puppetry are seamlessly integrated with other forms of live action.
If this latest piece lacks the emotional highs and lows and almost mythic component of some of the company's very best work, it remains endlessly inventive and at its best has some of the subconscious penetration of a classic children's novel, such as Marianne Dreams, and the familiarity of tales such as The Three Little Pigs. Theatre-Rites shows are always a lesson in making something special out of nothing. This one is no different. Out of a bag the company constructs a house. Inside a girl is playing.
Play, and its importance in life and art, is at the heart of Catch Your Breath. It not only celebrates the concept of play - something seriously under threat in early-years education - but you can actually see how this show evolved from the company playing together. As with all Theatre-Rites shows, this one is about the transforming power of the imagination. It taps into the child's ability to see an object as something other than what it is, and in the process teaches us adults a thing or two about creativity and problem-solving.
Almost entirely wordless, but full of unexpected visual wonders (a tube of material that turns into a skyscraper, a blanket transformed into a wolf that attempts to blow the child's house down), the show is gentle enough to suit this age group but constantly challenges what we think is suitable for them. Like small children, it has no limits. But it also knows the importance of security: at the end of the show, the children are invited to snuggle up in the tent. This is a lovely, low-key show, offering much more to young audiences than might appear. But then in all good theatre, there is always so much more than meets the eye.
· Until tomorrow. Box office: 020-8741 2311 .
