Theatre / bristol festival of puppetry
Review: Little Frankenstein (Puppet Fest)
This show from touring company Lempen Puppet Theatre is billed as ‘a little horror for little horrors’ but, in truth, it’s more charming than scary.
Performer, inventor and overall genius Frank Stein (Daniel Lempen) is a puppet master rehearsing his latest show, George and the Dragon. Not only does Lempen manage the dialogue, he also expertly takes control of the sound desk visible onstage. He begins traditionally, bringing the tale to life from behind a curtain, but soon grows disenchanted as his homemade puppets start to break.
Frustrated with playing with inanimate toys, Lempen decides to create a living, breathing ‘Creature George’ who will do a better job for him. The script comes to life at this point, as he gathers “a feather of gentleness” and other elements to create the perfect boy.
There is some suspense as the electricity flows across the stage and the audience-created thunderstorm brings Creature George to life. But it’s once the puppet man disappears off-stage and the Creature really does appear to move, unaided, that the magic really starts.
There’s not long to get to know Creature George, but he quickly takes control of the show, much to the audience’s delight. The puppetry in these final scenes is expert, in particular a comic fight between George and the dragon in which Creature George creates a gentler ending for the traditional slayer tale.
The children in the audience enjoyed creating sound effects and answering questions, and the performance worked best for the under sevens. A few more jokes for the adults might have also helped to create the family show billed.
In some ways this show does indeed feel like a rehearsal, needing a bit more pace to keep the kids enthralled: but there are moments of charm when the imaginative storytelling shines through.
Bristol Festival of Puppetry continues until Sunday, September 6 at various venues. For more info, visit www.puppetplace.org/festival and see our preview here.
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