This is a sweet and imaginative show that really draws you into the story that the delightful characters wish to tell.
You will be just as fascinated as your children are.
The show follows a family – Grandma, Mother, Father and Son- where the Son wants to have a brother to play with, so his Grandma tells him a story about the temple which he should visit in order to get a brother. In the dead of night, the Son sets off with his pet pig on a mission to reach the temple, having many adventures and learning how to be a good brother along the way.
BRUSH Theatre invite you into the world that they construct around you using a collection of stamps, rollers and, of course, brushes on endless pieces of paper. The performers build each scene around them, using the simple tools to produce wonderfully inventive locations and moments. Each new scene is full of ingenious little tricks and secrets, which keep both children and adults absolutely absorbed. One brilliant backdrop becomes a landscape, a face, a tree and a crane. This skill extended to the props. A standout moment from the show was the encounter with a forceful and slightly terrifying cat.
The cast were a polished ensemble working very well together. Characters were clear, easy to understand and likeable, jostling and joking their way around the stage, and despite lots of audience interaction, the characters never slipped once.
There were a couple of pronunciation issues that were mostly forgivable for a show working in both Korean and English. The only one that needs fixing was confusion as to whether the Son’s pet was a pig or a dog, which was eventually clarified but only just before the show ended.
This was a funny and gripping production that I would recommend to parents of younger children. You will be just as fascinated as your children are.