Edinburgh Fringe 2026
The Bookbinder
Trick of the Light Theatre
Genre: Children's Theatre, Family, One Person Show, Puppetry, Shadow Puppets, Solo Show, Storytelling, Theatre
Venue: Assembly Roxy
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
This story takes you back to the days of stories being shared around campfires – under self-made tents – or under dim lighting with friends and a couple of your bed sheets. What you really discover in this story is the art of how to tell one without the essence of a show feeling ‘manufactured into the digital world’, this story takes me right back to my childhood. There is no beat dropped, no moment out of place – this is a fast paced story that skillfully brings back the excitement of finding an old book, and the gifts of woven illustrations that jump out to you in 3D, each character that is captured in the book morphs into life, being carefully lit by simplistic lighting that still requires incredible accuracy – as if the puppetry or actor is slightly out of place the imagery would be lost, phew this is not the case on this viewing. You can see why this production has won several awards and been invited back to the Assembly for it’s 500th anniversary – welcome to – Trick of the Light Theatre Company – all the way from New Zealand; what a treat.
Review
This is a story for the whole family, for those who remember those delightful ‘pop-up books’ as a kid and for those who are willing to be present to enjoy the gifts of the spoken word story, the glimpse of new found characters in books, with using simple items to form miniature characters – this is a delightful hour and an outstanding example of how to craft a one-person show – both through the depictions of different archetypes and the supporting set, through lighting and illustrations that gallop off the page into the minds of the audience. I’m stepping right back into my Merlin days – bring on the sorcery and voyages across the channel, all told through the eyes of the ‘boy’ that is beautifully presented as a puppet – a mere 20 centimetres in carved form!
Watch how the young boy – apprentice ‘book binder’ begins his new job, trying to follow close instructions only to come unstuck as he fails to follow ‘Bind the books – don’t read them.’ And of course, we all have the ability to go somewhere forbidden or to go against an instruction, so sit tight as the young Boy goes on a journey of many twists and turns, as his flesh and bones becomes the ink in the story.
The room is dark – the hour is late – and there you will find a man asleep at his vintage desk waiting to be woken by the presence of us – the audience. ‘Apprentice Sought’ is the only sign visible, as the man sleeps on the job. The subtle lighting and features of the antique gramophone create the required ambience for the tales that are about to unfold.
Ralph McCubbin Howell has us hooked from his very first line, floating effortlessly between his family tree skeleton of all the previous Bookbinders and their advice given to be the best at this trade, with comedic contradictions throughout – “A bookbinder never cuts corners.” Here the story is set and the ‘Young Boy’ is hired, settling into his new role nicely. Hannah Smith beautifully lines up the story here, directing the use of inanimate objects to portray different characters coming into the shop – such an imaginative beginning – the woman with the upside-down pages, the scissors, all complaining about their books to be astounded by the quick and nimble response from the Young Boy, who repairs them in an instant. Such a wonderful moment of how puppetry can be used with any item – from a kitchen or a living room – Trick of the Light Theatre Company give us impressive writing with an ability to see the comedy in a pair of scissors in a Bookbinder’s workshop with bounce and flair. None of this would work without the rapid text delivered by Howell, as he flips from character to character with effortless execution, a set of characters all lined up with an enriched tone and personalised dialect to the era, context and ‘place’ in the story – only an accomplished actor can pull this off and Howell succeeds – he is the one person who could tell ‘that’ story as a kid – the kid who had everyone on the edge of their seat around a camp fire – the story that you hang on their every word.
Felling smug, with an element of cocky confidence – the young Boy soon believes he can complete his work in record time. At this point Ralph McCubbin Howell brings the ‘big cheese’, the magic book that springs to life through pages of intricately cut puppets and detailed sketches of the shop in imaginative illustrations. Outstanding. Here, we are transported into the Boy’s world in miniature form – his world – his craft. Then, one day – he sees a woman, in an aloof form louring by the door in detailed black ink markings. We know in this moment he must avoid her, but like the kid in The Witches he must speak with her and to complete her book in only one day. If only the boy had remembered his mentor’s first bit of advice, “A bookbinder never cuts corners”, and that is exactly what he does, he binds the book with one missing page – passing the book off as a completed text. But nothing will get past this unworldly woman, as he will soon pay the price when he risks his life, as the ‘paper turns to dust’…
You are truly in for an extraordinary hour, an outstanding piece of theatre – my only point would be to sit as close to the front as possible, as even the details of the carved puppets are from old Encyclopedias – you would miss these details if sat at the back, perhaps with some future projections the audience would see some of the more intricate details. This said, the acting, craft and storytelling cannot be faulted and is truly an outstanding tale for a family outing. This form of storytelling has to be celebrated and will encourage children and adults to go on the hunt for those old early 20th century pop-up books or if truly in awe, will make one themselves. I felt very inspired walking out of the theatre. A must see!
