Edinburgh Fringe 2012
Low Down
Homespun Theatre take this classic Norwegian tale, transposing it perfectly for an English-speaking audience. The cast of four are energetic and exciting to watch, smoothly covering the multitude of characters and constantly swapping the role of narrator they create an enjoyable production for adults and children alike.
Review
The worst snow storm in history – cue snowflakes and howls from the cast – and a little girl is lost. Scared she may never find home she is happened upon by a friendly polar bear who rescues her from the cold. As their relationship grows, a secret is revealed and so begins a fabulous adventure filled with magic, music and a lot of laughter. We are taught about trolls (how stupid and greedy they are), we meet the four winds (very friendly and a bit ditsy, apart from the North) and importantly we learn the benefits of taking responsibility for ones actions!
There were plenty of giggles from the children, and many a guffaw from the older lot too making this piece perfectly balanced fun for all the family. I hoped for a little more interaction with the children and I feel that the space could have been used more effectively (both by the cast and the lighting), however these are finer points. The four are clearly a committed and enthusiastic bunch who have obviously worked hard with director, Hannah Drake, to make an sweetly enchanting and moralistic fairytale.
Their small budget is to their benefit, it is far more interesting to see what can be done with imagination than with big technical expenditure and this gives the piece a gentle charm that can be taken home. We surely all remember the wide-eyed awe instilled by a magical fairytale, a quality that should not be lost as we mature – the simplest and most important rules of being a human being are imparted in such stories! Thus, whether parent, child, performer or regular festival goer I advise you indulge yourself in this beautiful tale.
