Is there a more delightful way to start the 2013 Fringe than with Edinburgh’s own Puppet State Theatre Company? This nearly pitch perfect production of The Man Who Planted Trees, which has been enchanting audiences since 2007, has weathered the test of time. So has its central figure Elzéard Bouffier, the kindly shepherd who plants a forest of hope and renewal in a desolate, windswept valley in the French Alps.
Based on the classic story by Jean Giono, the Puppet State Theatre Company has created a tender, delightful and very amusing adaptation which will appeal to audiences of every age. With two actors, simple but beautiful scenery, a gorgeously realised soundscape, and a few sensory surprises this reviewer won’t give away, Rick Conte and Richard Medrington keep the audience laughing and engaged while telling an incredibly inspiring story of loss, war, generosity and renewal.
Richard Medrington as the narrator is one of the most engaging and earnest storytellers I have encountered. His gentle and intimate style is beautifully complemented by the high energy enthusiasm of Rick Conte, as Dog, the faithful sheepdog and comic sidekick. Breaking with tradition, the actors introduce the show as themselves and comment throughout on the fact that these are puppets, with no expectation that the audience will forget the actors behind the strings. There is an air of improvisation about this continual observation of the hand controlling the puppet that at times I found frustrating, until I realised the genius of it. By breaking the suspension of disbelief on occasion, this show adeptly keeps the youngest audience members engaged without resorting to altering or ‘dumbing down’ the story. Though adults may find these moments a little long and disruptive to the story, children find them hilarious. The jokes and little asides resulted at one moment in a completely spontaneous and jubilant cry of ‘Dog, Dog, Dog’ from the audience. It became clear what a gift this was as children as young as two were exposed to a multi-lingual, multi-generational tale told honestly, artfully and beautifully. Anyone with children will appreciate how difficult it is to maintain the attention of a four year old for an hour but these two actors, with the help of the ever faithful Dog, do it seamlessly.
If you, like so many in the story of The Man Who Planted Trees, do not know the name Elzéard Bouffier, you have only two weeks to get to know him before this beautiful treasure leaves the Fringe. Do not wait for the forest; for these two magical weeks, the forest has come to you, accompanied by a button-eyed optimist called Dog. Go and take it in.
