This is a heartfelt piece, in which a group of intrepid teens set out to discover monsters… and discover them in the last place they thought to look.
Lots of dramatic surprises
Fringe veterans Newbury Youth Theatre take us on a dreamlike journey through the myths and legends of sea creatures, dream-granting imps, and even dodgy Edinburgh tour guides as this enthusiastic bunch bounce around the stage, using a range of techniques to maintain audience interest. The most successful of these is the shadow puppetry which is deployed to tell the story of the Wulvers, a benevolent band of women who have a close kinship with wolves and help distressed travellers by sharing their catch with them. This was a delicate and engaging scene in which the nature of the Scottish folklore and the medium balanced beautifully to suggest the supernatural elements of the story.
This is very much an ensemble piece, in which the spirited team ebb and flow together to showcase their nascent storytelling skills. Special mentions should be given to Amber Karasinksi, Millie Underwood and Henry Trigwell-Jones for confident and involving characterisations which maintain the pace of the narrative admirably. The mystical elements are punctuated by intense mini-monologues in which members of the cast relive the monsters in their own lives; in one of the live music interludes, Isabel Adams getting toes tapping with a catchy folk song dedicated to one of the characters. There is a scene stealing turn, too, from Hugh Farrel who chews the scenery with gleeful aplomb.
Here Be Dragons is an interesting little number which works hard to pack in lots of dramatic surprises for its audience; and in the best spirit of the Fringe, allows us to showcase and support vibrant and emerging young performers.
