Prince Charming performed by Elisa de Grey and Ruth Calkin [Ellie Kurttz]

A PUPPET theatre in Angel hosted Islington royalty on Thursday for a special viewing of its latest production which reimagines a fairytale prince as a seven-year-old boy too anxious to get out of bed.

Little Angel Theatre, off Upper Street, invited the Mayor of Islington and other supporters to a VIP performance of Prince Charming, a one-puppet, two-actor musical for children and adults alike.

Associate director and puppet designer Oliver Hymans said: “The puppet doesn’t look like the Prince Charming we see in Disney films.

“He’s slightly weedy, with oversized eyes that look sad but curious at the same time.

“We wanted him to convey as much emotion as possible.”

The show follows Prince Charming as he learns to face his many fears, including the Bermuda Triangle and his own existence.

“It’s a comment on anxiety felt by both children and adults,” Mr Hymans said.

“Anxiety is not something that just one particular age group will experience, it might happen to all of us at some point in our lives and we think it’s really important to have the right conversations with young people from an early age.”

Mr Hymans noted that although the performance addresses important emotional subjects, it’s also funny and entertaining.

Little Angel Theatre has been inspiring Islington with puppetry since 1961 and, in February, it won Fringe Theatre of the Year in the Stage Awards.

Mr Hymans has also recently been nominated for an Offies Award – which recognises alternative theatre in the UK – for his design work on Prince Charming.

As well as putting on productions, the theatre also brings puppet workshops to nearby schools.

Prince Charming is running until July 27.