There may be many things called Twisted Tales yet none with so fitting a title as this. These are incredibly creative ways of retelling a story and in some cases, with very different endings to the ones we are used to. This is no Disney, this is much darker – yet with such humour in places too. The other aspect of twisted is the way the six piece troupe contort themselves into shapes, props, set and even animals: so seamlessly throughout the stories yet quickly and expertly timed.
Physical theatre done well is a joy to behold and these gifted actors are exceptionally skilled at this genre. They move in an almost undulating way between the different scenes in each story being told, and each of them multi-role during them, becoming the characters of the stories as well as the things in it. Moving from a wild forest with arms as branches trying to catch Little Red Riding Hood to the creation of the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland, with a swishy tale and four dangling legs; the pictures and shapes they create make you forget they are people and you just see what they are portraying: a giant chair, a wolf, a bed, a porridge pot being stirred. In the tale of Goldilocks And The Three Bears the extra lengths one of them goes to add special items to the porridge, including whipped cream; which are all portrayed using nothing but themselves: their physicality and sounds they make in a variety of ways, is one of the several funny moments. Sounds are another of the especially creative additions, made vocally with sounds, or singing including harmonies; and drumming or patting using hands or feet. There are some joyful and laugh out loud moments too: such as picking flowers, where their smiling faces suddenly droop with their hands covering them when they have been plucked into a bunch.
The fourth story is the longest and is a Viking versus the Saxons story of prophecies and legend, bloodshed and revenge. It borrows from Norse legends from all over Scandinavia including Iceland and Sweden and also the TV show Vikings – and why not. This is a show, not a history lesson. Once again the pictures they create really are extraordinary, including snakes biting someone, and several perspectives on a ship sailing including the bough of the ship moving on the waves.
This is detailed, thought-provoking theatre by Box House Theatre: they are slick and the performance is tight; co-ordinating movements with each other by simply using breath. But there is also something else important at play here: they make us aware that they are performers when they first appear, looking like rabbits caught in headlights as they come out: having to put on neatly folded jumpsuits laid out for them at the front of the stage, each with their own colour and QR code on as if they are commodities. They all look to an unseen point above the audience, they move to the gym mat, unfolding it in awe, at once intrigued and scared by it, and it makes them perform when they step onto it. This unique platform theatre is a beautiful allegory of acting and creating a show for an audience: they exist to perform, the stage is simultaneously exciting and terrifying, and the audience will give them limited feedback. Except in this case, one audience member said loudly while exiting: “that was brilliant!” and she’s not wrong. This really is boundary pushing theatre. Highly recommended: catch it if you can.
The Bunker at Fools Paradise, 5th May 2024
Twisted Tales runs 3-6 May 2024
Photos by Box House Theatre
