The incredibly talented team that comprises the Paper Crane Company has hit the Fringe this year with a new and original piece of theatre. This show is certainly not one to be missed, so I would recommend getting down to the Quaker House as soon as possible.
The team have fused together a premise from ancient Greece and thrown it into a modern setting: we watch on as disaster ensues. Two ex-muses have decided to get together one more time to control some people’s lives. Unused to the constraints and triviality of modern lives, the muses are surprised to discover that their protagonist, Dave, is incredibly dull and untalented. He is given a task by his overly stereotypical, Latin speaking, misogynistic comment-giving, city boss and goes on his adventure with, of course, his trusty team. His team consists of the familiarly clichéd types. This show has all the makings of a great show, comedy, romance, and even tragedy.
In addition, the entire cast are puppets, manipulated by six actors dressed all in black. The plot line was interesting but with the added bonus of the perfect characterization of over 20 different puppets, this show became something really special. A highlight was the puppet Widdy, who was played by Julie Eve Schtuz: she had great charisma and consistently kept her booming voice, despite having to change her voice constantly with the different characters.
The many current jokes laced through this suave production were hilarious, for example referencing the ghost of Nick Clegg’s integrity, pointing fun at horsemeat, or having a puppet re-enact Nigella’s late show on Channel 4. Another thing that really helped to make this show work was how easy it was to get drawn into it. When the play got underway, you could forget that the muses were narrating and regulating the characters. A moment where the puppetry was truly impressive was when the character, Widdy, became full-grown and walked around the stage, showing off a very impressive physical performance. The only criticisms that I would state was that occasionally the puppets were slightly out of sync and their comic timing was slightly off.
The 50-minute show is well worth seeing, it is entertaining, innovative and a great way to while away an hour at the Fringe.
