‘Come in! Come in!’ giggled a mischievous sprite-like creature as she showed us to our seat at the beginning of Salvi and the Box of Dreams. The only thing was, we were not in a theatre at all, but in Salvi’s living room. A tiny room seating eight: adorned with fairy lights, chests, boxes, dream catchers and magical-looking pictures on the wall, even adults started to feel like they were in a bit of a dream.
The creature at the door is Cush, our narrator and friend to Salvi, a tired and grumpy old man who just wants to be left in peace. Cush has other ideas! She wants to know what Salvi keeps in his secret chest and who exactly is making these magical things happen! Using his three ‘dream spirits’, Salvi and Cush show the audience that dreams and imagination can make anything possible!
Five 20-somethings were at a children’s show without children but nonetheless, that was the audience. They were laughing throughout, and I’ve no doubt that children would sincerely enjoy themselves too. It was not patronising, and the physicality of all the characters was wonderful. At the end we were all invited to stay behind with the cast and make dream-catchers. I realise now why this audience was all adults; you are never too young or too old to dream.
