Laika review – adorable space dog blasts off on family mission to Mars

Unicorn theatre, London
The story of the stray that became Russia's first cosmonaut is interwoven with a mother and son's plans to visit the red planet in a show for six to 12-year-olds

Something is scratching at the door that opens on to the stage and my 10-year-old theatre companion, Qeiva, is scared. Suddenly an actor in a brown fluffy jumper bursts on to stage. She scampers among us, panting wildly. Qeiva forgets her fear and falls for the pooch in 10 seconds flat. This isn't any old dog though: this is Laika the space dog.

Laika's tale is quite something, and it's based on a true story. In 1957, a stray mutt was plucked off the streets of Moscow and selected for a space mission. Laika was the first living creature to orbit the Earth, and eventually became a bit of a celebrity. But this was always designed to be a one-way flight and poor old Laika died.