Flashing bombs, crashing sets, dry ice and a battling cast of dozens all packed into Dublin's sweetest, most compact theatre space? Believe it, and if there were any signs of strain during Little Red Kettle's short spell in the Ark, they were confined to the dressing rooms - where no fewer than 50 nine-to-12-year-olds in bulky costumes had to fight for mirror space.

Written and directed by Liam Meagher and Ben Hennessy, and fresh from its Waterford run, the spectacular production graced by these children defies description in this space. It starts off as the sort of noisy and quasi-mystical warrior fantasy that parents dread on Sky television, then fractures into a funny, self-conscious kaleidoscope of narrative frames and metafictional jokes about putting on a play.

Can these child actors really follow what they're doing? At times there are uncomfortable echoes of Bugsy Malone cutesiness, but in general their performances, and the play-within-a-play-within-a-play-within-a-play (really!) denouement, say yes. After all, nowadays half the TV cartoons that aren't warrior fantasies indulge in this sort of post-modern child's play. In any case, bringing this appropriately long-named, two-hour play to fruition must have been an extraordinary summer experience for the kids. As was watching it.