“Fun, dynamic and well-paced, the show also had a take home message, to ‘dream big’”
Les Petits Theatre Company’s stage adaptation of David Walliams’ The First Hippo on the Moon was not aimed at me (a twenty-one-year-old single graduate who isn’t generally inclined towards being amused by scatological humour), but that didn’t stop me taking pleasure in its well-executed silliness and imaginative realisation.
The plot is simple and engaging; a big for his boots hippo, Napoleon Heracles Waldorf Franklin the Third, has a dream – to be the first hippo on the moon. He is puffed up by his own sense of self-importance and presumption that he will succeed. Then we meet Sheila, a hippo from more humble, earthly beginnings, who reveals to her lively crew of jungle creature friends that Napoleon ‘stole her dream’ from when they were at school together, and teased her for ever daring to dream so big in the first place. And so Sheila’s quest begins to beat him to the moon, with a lot of help from her friends.
Combining puppetry and catchy songs (I’ll overlook Silver Bob the monkey’s Jungle Book rip off as positive derivation), the cast electrically and convincingly inhabit their animal roles, transporting and manipulating their puppets with nimbleness and ease. Their skill was delightful to witness, particularly in the space scenes, when they whizzed about with star and rocket paper puppets, accompanied by much ‘whooshing’.
Special commendation must go to the actress playing Sheila, who was so convincing in her giant hippo costume that my disbelief was wittingly suspended. The set was creative and agile, and the moveable palm trees were whisked out of the way to make room for a huge, cratered moon, lit by a background of glimmering fairy light stars. Truly magical.
Lighting was creative and exciting, and the packed auditorium of children were captivated. The script had plenty of plays on words, good for slightly older children as well as for adults – a particular favourite was the mention of a giant orange elephant, called ‘Donald Trunk’. And, of course, I cannot forget the abundance of poo jokes, which involved some audience participation – ‘excrement work’. It literally fuelled the production …
Fun, dynamic and well-paced, the show also had a take home message, to ‘dream big’, no matter what your background. That friendship is what is important, and that it’s ‘not where you come from or where going to, but who you are going with’. If you’ve got kids, go and see it. And if you’re twenty-one and at a loose end, take all your friends along.
Reviewed by Eloïse Poulton
Photography by Richard Davenport for The Other Richard
THE FIRST HIPPO ON THE MOON
is at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe until 20th August
Iphigenia (A Rave Fable) is a Brechtian acid trip like no other. Giving voice to the sidelined daughter of Agamemnon, (sacrificed by her father for the good of the country in the original Greek play, Iphigenia in Aulis) Clumsy Bodies Theatre’s adaptation allows Iphigenia a story that is truly her own, from her own perspective, recontextualised seamlessly within the Juarez Cuidad Murders.
As with most classical adaptations, knowledge of the original text is useful. However, the piece avoids the pitfalls of necessitating previous knowledge by bringing the audience unbroken accessibility through the clarity of its context and narrative. Updating Brechtian devices through multimedia signposting, multi-roling and stylised gesture, the style of the piece is clearly politicised and distant from the emotional trappings of more naturalist drama.
Performances were energetic and well-characterised, with the difficult language handled effortlessly by the company. Credit must go to Sara Jewell (Violeta Imperial), whose nuanced performance provides a more intimate human connection with the audience.
This piece holds the seed of a spectacular fringe show, but requires further development to truly bring its own perspective to Brecht’s foundations. The distancing machinations of the Brechtian work could be further exposed and prioritised, and could be offset further with more broken and connected performances. Due to the lack of connection between performer and audience that was forced by the end-on staging, Iphigenia occasionally lacked the stakes that its narrative requires.
Overall, the piece was fringe theatre at its best, with jarring physicality and an engaging and inspiring political narrative, let down only by the restraints of its conception. This reviewer is left hoping that Iphigenia has earned a transfer at a more inclusive performance space, to allow the growth and connection that the piece has the potential to provide.
Reviewed by Tasmine Airey
Photography by Victor Pãtrãşcan
Iphigenia (A Rave Fable)
is due to appear at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe
