A Professor tries to find his daughter, Sophie, after the first failed attempt of making a double of her left haunting consequences. One of his four helpers, Peepers, sees all truth in everyone and everything. She leads the fight against the empty shell of the double who all consumes the Professor. The new arrival of Clockheart Boy inspires hope and youth back into the dark castle as the Professor and his helpers struggle to maintain their optimism in life. Clockheart Boy is presented as a stereotypical child who asks endless questions, opening up the Professor’s own heart to rekindle the spark that shines out of life.The ensemble is buzzing with energy and excitement, they perform inventive scenes and a kaleidoscope of ideas fly all over the place. The ensemble grab laughs sporadically, but the scenes don’t seem to know when to end and lean towards the undisciplined simplicity of a children’s show. The Professor’s helpers are fantastical but unfortunately in all their eagerness they end up patronising and pandering to the audience. Unconventionally, the plot does not have a typical happy ending but holds a moral that not all lost things can be found, and it is better to move on than be consumed by past mistakes.Sadly, the play didn’t take its own advice and some scenes are too drawn-out; the show needs to be tighter and a good twenty minutes shorter to prevent anybody getting bored of the story. An interesting production with special moments and inventive style, but it ultimately fails to deliver a completed story that keeps the audience captivated throughout.
