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Glitch – The Improvised Puppet Show ★★★★
Edinburgh theSpace @ Surgeons Hall (Venue 53)
Until Saturday 20th August 2016
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Photo: Rebecca Need-Menear
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Puppets
can get away with more than people. Add in the improvised element and you have
a show that is regularly selling out. The quick minded cast not only have to
make up the script, based upon the last line, but they’ve also got to handle big
puppets similar to the cast of Avenue Q. These guys have a winning formula and
it produces a lot of laughs.
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Photo: Rebecca Need-Menear
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The
show begins with a number of suggestions from the audience for the elements of
the show that will make this evening’s show unique. The audience are encouraged
to come up with good rather than naughty ideas.
The
performance space is split into 3 areas. In the centre is the main story area.
On the left is an area that the puppets retreat to if there is an aside to be
made. For example, if a puppet say “the other day I was saying…”, then they’d
go left and have that conversation in full. On the right is the woodwind
musician who plays the soundtrack on their instrument and, so like the
puppeteers, they have to improvise with the mood of the piece as it develops.
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Photo: Rebecca Need-Menear
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This
show is not for young children. It isn’t the Muppets. But, based on this
evening’s show, it isn’t as rude as Avenue Q either. But just like Avenue Q,
the puppets take a lot of handling (most are not just glove puppets and can
require a number of handlers.)
Whilst
it is a show about puppet monsters, it is the undercurrent of the human condition
that makes the show interesting. It examines doubt, procrastination, your good
side playing off your bad side. The audience had plenty to laugh at as they
recognised these personality traits from the puppets dialogue. For a story
being made up on the hoof it ran very smoothly and the show felt like it
quickly came to the end of the set.
Glitch
is a high quality improvisation show from a talented cast, using puppets, that
produce many laughs. No wonder it keeps selling out.
This
review was written by Stephen Oliver the North East Theatre
Guide – follow Stephen at @panic_c_button
Tickets:
Tickets £8.00
Students £6.00
Book over the
phone: 0131 226 0000
In person at
The Fringe Box Office - 180 High Street, EH1 1QS or The University of Edinburgh
Visitor Centre, 2 Charles Street, EH8 9AD. (Card sales only)
Tickets can
be booked online at https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/wychwood
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