A popular nursery rhyme gets a reality check: just like in real life, the story of the children of the old woman who lived in a shoe, whom she whipped black and blue, did not just end there. Her actions caused them more than physical harm and time alone was not a good enough healer.The Elements, an Edinburgh based theatre company, speak of the quest for love and happiness among those brought up in violence. The play fast-forwards the nursery rhyme about the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe by 20 years. The children are now grown up and two of them, Jack and Jill, are back to meet the old woman. It becomes apparent very quickly that they both want revenge. The play takes place in the café of No Tomorrows - a mythical place, where the waiter who plays the role of a trickster and a Shaman successfully create the setting that the (now grown-up) children need to heal and move on. He achieves this by doing for them what their mother never did - tells stories, sings, laughs and plays with them, in the process allowing them to express their suppressed fear, anger and hope.This playful production does an excellent job of presenting a serious and extremely emotive subject through light-hearted storytelling, live music and convincing acting. It is written by award winning playwright Lee Gershuny and enacted by seasoned actors Robert Williamson, Corinne Harris, also the director, and Pete Baynes. It has been brought to the Fringe after being extremely well received at the annual Edinburgh International Festival of Middle Eastern Spirituality and Peace (MESP), for which it was especially written. The dialogues in the play are witty and the actors do an excellent job of presenting it, successfully striking a good balance between acting and storytelling. The set is simple and props quirky; and the small venue is made good use of, allowing regular interaction with the audience.The play has a theme that most of us can relate to at some level and it’s conveyed beautifully. Although there are a few moments where it seems to lose focus, overall there is no confusing or denying what the play is trying to express - that the power to heal lies within us, we might just need a little help to find it.
