Low Down
Combining several different forms of puppetry, this company has created a magical, if slightly whimsical tale. It is a fable about a yak who lives on top of a mountain. To the animals in the jungle he is the highest creature and therefore their God. Meanwhile, two humans find a feral child called Dharla who has been brought up by the Yak. In the jungle the bears try to seize power from the tiger by breaking the link with the Yak.
Review
The story is a little bizarre and non-sensical. But the script is wonderful, witty and entertaining and the actors and puppeteers skilled. The puppets themselves are beautiful. What lets this production down is its lack of focus and the fact that the puppeteers are visible. They are trying to do too much, combining every kind of puppetry: Shadow, glove, rod maneuvered; the main method they are employing is Bunraku, the Japanese tradition using small, hand held wooden puppets with the puppeteers visible.
But then maybe the Japanese are better at their own game. In this production the puppeteer's omnipresence is overbearing, particularly the bears. Because the animals have no facial movement, one is totally distracted by the actor, who's face is going through the expressions and emotions for them. Rather than sticking to the traditional style religiously they could have easily coverered themeselves with a black veil and the magic would have been enhanced a lot.
The lack of focus comes with the decision to stage in the round. They are trying to seperate the worlds of the jungle, the village and the mountain but what we get is action that is too far away and removed. The yak puppet is brilliant. A big shaggy, bobbing head. It is all the better because from where I sat I could not see the puppeteer - but then others could. The tiger puppet is wonderful too, and the actor Felix Trench manages to manipulate it artfully attached to his waist, keeping his head down whilst acting energetically. Horatio the bear however is far too unmoving, with the actress Leonie Hamway putting great energy into her performance but totally upstaging her puppet - isn't it the bear's performance we want to see? Whilst the jungle animals are behind a gauze screen, the humans exist centre stage. Here, Ishbel McFarlane consumately maneuveres Dharla around by lying underneath. The puppet is operated by rods linked through each anatomical part.
This company has created an impressive show, and it is inspiring to see their desire to promote older forms of puppetry today. Although the story is a little strange, the script is very good; and although the puppets are beautifully made, the over use of visible actors detracts from what is essentially a very inventive piece
Reviewed by FLM 19/8/08
