Brighton Fringe 2012
Low Down
The tale of an egg who doesn’t want to hatch. A truly vibrant one man show with witty puppetry, a splashing fish and a sidekick, Nancy, the invisible spider. A vibrant children’s show that leads to the captivating crescendo of Birdy finally hatching from his egg.
Review
The adventure begun with the discovery of the Warren Venue, aptly named, this secret gem off West Street really brought home how Brighton Fringe is growing and becoming ever more exciting each year. We walked straight into an atmosphere which seduced the children, with guitar music by Carlo Capelli playing.
Watch the Birdy is a tale of an egg who doesn’t want to hatch. His mum has to fly south and can’t wait for him so she asks the one-socked Percy to look after Birdy and make sure he doesn’t get eaten by the eagle. Percy has the help of Nancy the invisible spider, Sheila the lazy fish and Jeremy the hungry bear and together they manage to protect Birdy from the eagle and get through the Winter. In spring, the flowers come out and so does Birdy to say hello to all the children.
Patrick Lynch emerges from the versatile set designed by Marcello Chiarenza, who also directed this quirky and delightful show. Lynch is constantly engaging, his wide eyed, energetic, precise physical performance kept the children and adults riveted. My two and a half year old daughter who didn’t necessarily get everything ( the show is recommended for 3-5 year olds) was laughing out loud at the comic timing without necessarily ‘getting’ the show. Lynch’s timing is impeccable.
The set kept growing as the story grew and Lynch delighted us with his growing and changing world. It was easy to forget it was a one man show with such a party happening on stage, with witty puppetry, the splashing fish and the side kick, Nancy the invisible spider.
Though I lost the storyline a few times, the dynamic, clever storytelling successfully led to a crescendo of Birdy hatching from his egg. The children, enchanted, left their seats to watch up close this simple yet breathtaking moment which was so beautifully earned and enjoyed.
