There is an infectious energy about Hou Hou that you just cant ignore. Its the kind of ensemble storytelling that Les Enfants Terribles Theatre Company have received high praise for at the Fringe, but with even more enthusiasm.The cast are dressed in mufti drag as washerwomen (yes, even the boys). Its kind of like looking at an explosion in an Oxfam shop, but this chaotic look matches the style of the show which races around at a furious pace. They add layers to their bare stage with sheets hanging on the line, which move across the stage to create dimensions.Its a dark story about Ginny, a cripple who finds love with a tea total roofer, but shes ruined when he turns to drink and takes her down with him. Its delivered with an awful lot of gusto in rhyming couplets, through music, and an avalanche of movement. One minute you think youre watching Stomp!, and the next its Riverdance but this patchworks works together seamlessly to a truly immersive piece of theatre. At times it feels like the whole cast are leaning in on you, demanding you to pay attention. These are modern-day minstrels that enthusiastically take you on a journey for an hour and wont let you off the ride until theyre done. Great stuff.
