“…
the moment the curtain went up to reveal an imaginative
set swirling with smoke, the youngsters were captivated.
If Steven Spielberg is the man with the magic films
to entrance children into sitting still, then David
Wood is ‘live’ theatre’s Spielberg
… a winner.” South Wales Evening Post
 “…
a roaring success … a play with a good deal of
thought-provoking stuff in it … a brilliant theatrical
confection, it simply doesn’t have a dull moment.
Tip top entertainment.” Liverpool Daily Post
“THE
PAPERTOWN PAPERCHASE provides children’s theatre
for thinkers, for those with a sense of fun, mischief
and compassion, in a style that is beautifully structured
and varied in its pace … Wood’s way is to
take simple every day objects and weave them into a
fantasy in which all the essentials are included –
baddies to hiss at, goodies to warm to, chases to set
spines tingling with excitement … his stories
are clear and moral but not pious, for Wood really does
engage sympathies and give children an escape to where
people love and care for one another.” The Stage
“…
one of Wood’s strongest texts. As with all his
plays, the strength is not so much in richness of language,
but in the storyline and crossroads with which he peppers
the text … it is a neat moral maze, and all the
better for that … exhilarating.” The Guardian
“…
an original and inspired plot to create a production
which was not only entertaining but educational. From
the moment the curtain rose, the young audience was
fascinated by the tale of the Salamander banished from
the land of fire for failing his fire-breathing test
… lessons in the nuisance of scattering litter,
the danger of fire and learning to settle problems without
violence are cleverly hidden in the play, which is simple
enough to capture the children’s imaginations
without being patronising.” Hull Daily Mail
“…
packed with ideas … we are bombarded with novel
ideas such as the waste paper basket being the Papertown
prison, and the firemen being made of silver paper because
that does not burn.” Kentish Independent
|
The
Salamander, a sort of dragon, is in trouble with the Fire
Flies, because he is unable to create a fire by breathing
on a pile of sticks. To redeem himself he is sent on a mission
to burn down Papertown. 
Silver,
and even the cheeky Litterbug become involved, and the two
petty criminals, Blotch and Carbon, are released to join the
forces. 
In
the end, Salamander, who has fallen for timid little Tishoo,
joins the paper people in thwarting the Fire Flies, and Papertown
is saved from destruction. 
The
play and piano/vocal score are published by