‘Dirt’ is a magic realist fairytale about bereaved mother Ada’s attempt to escape her grief… and also the incursion of a kingdom of evil worms. Said worms are the show’s jesters and Greek chorus, singing charmingly villainous songs and driving events – for example, reanimating Ada’s dead son as a toy for the Worm King. Laura Marston, as both the Worm Princess and Ada’s mother, is really impressive, craning and straining to animate a series of animal puppets; wheedling and self-promoting, Marston would make a fine Mephistopheles. The ending is delightfully sudden and unsentimental, and although it bucks the story arc slightly, it polishes the play with the perfect combo of grisly cuteness – something they manage to pull off better than anyone.
C eca, 3 – 29 Aug (not 16), 9.05pm (10.05pm), £7.50 – £9.50, fpp257.
tw rating: 4/5
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Sections: by Gavin Leech - ED2011 Theatre Reviews - tw rating 4/5 | Tags: Aireborne Theatre, C Venues
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