ED2011 Theatre Review: Cautionary Tales (Runaground)

A physical theatre performance of Belloc’s ‘Cautionary Tales’ is a tough job but the cast makes the best of it. The poems’ dark comedy is showcased by actors who clearly relish the physical characterisation of the fairytale-like characters. The Lord Lundy poem is particularly well-executed and a reminder that satire rarely becomes outdated. The cast is innovative in its exploration of set-design, using strings, a doll’s house, puppetry and masks to transport us to their cautionary world. At times, though, the storyline can be hard to follow and the actors speak a little too quickly. Despite the innovative direction, there are many clumsy moments that jar with the viewer. Overall, however, the piece is wonderfully over-the-top tongue-in-cheek theatre.

Paradise In The Vault, 8 – 29 Aug (not 15, 22), 4.10pm (4.55pm), £5.50 – £7.00, fpp248.
tw rating 3/5
[hd]

Sections: by Harriet Dodd - ED2011 Theatre Reviews - tw rating 3/5 | Tags: Paradise Venues, Runaground

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Tuesday August 30th, 2011 18:44

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