The Crescent Studio, BrindleyPlace, Birmingham, B16 8AE
Wednesday 11th – Saturday 14th January 2012
‘As always Stage2 were first class’ Roger Clarke, www.behindthearras.com
Inspired by the 1844 “Struwwelpeter” stories of Heinrich Hoffman (a German doctor wanting a better class of children’s book for his three-year-old son), this studio production transformed Hoffman’s cautionary tales into a spectacular visual feast, adding a few stories of Stage2’s own creation. At times hilarious, but also chilling, the ensemble cast were inspired by circus performers, giving the audience an insight into the world of a travelling circus.
With slick use of physical theatre, mime, flurries of ribbons and flawless manipulation of props the ‘well-oiled machine of a cast’ and chorus transported the audience into a world of fantasy, meeting characters such as pyromaniac Harriet, cruel Frederick, fidgety Phil, thumb-sucking Conrad and head-in-the-air Johnny. There was a magical atmosphere as the cast worked together to tell Hoffman’s stories in a truly dynamic way, even making human characters appear and disappear into thin air from pyramids of cubes piled high. ‘The 20 lead roles are on stage all the time and never missed a beat or a cue and moved the 20 cubes around like clockwork’ Roger Clarke.
Splitting the audience into quarters, sitting them in 4 banks and opening up the stage into a cross meant that each audience member’s experience of the show was different, and those sitting on the front row could expect the occasional surprise from cast members acting right up to the audience’s faces! The musical interludes kept the pace up as the performers burst into life to circus-inspired tunes, dancing along with perfect synchronicity and humour.
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