5 STARS, September 2-30 (Fri/Sat only). The River Girl is a fairytale-style poem by award winning poet, Wendy Cope, that will delight adults and youngsters equally, says Tara Ward
I have a confession to make: I’ve never seen a puppet show before and despite more than 40 years in West London, I’ve never visited the delightful Puppet Theatre Barge either. What a revelation!
Founded in 1982, three generations of the Middleton family continue to create magic: from the design and creation of the puppets themselves right through to the final entrancing productions.
The River Girl is essentially a simple boy-meets-girl love story told through puppets but its pathos and unexpected bursts of humour set against a mystical river backdrop make it much more. John Hodgkinson, Louise Middleton and the much-missed late Roger Lloyd Pack bring Wendy Cope’s beautiful poetry to life. Rory Allam’s music enhances the atmosphere, along with simple but effective lighting by Gren Middleton and the innovative backdrops designed by Stan Middleton and David Welsh. It is so clearly a team effort by all involved, including director Rob Humphreys.
Yet for me the real stars are the puppeteers themselves who turn their puppets into moving sculptures. With everything from bobbing fish to a cat with a swishing tail and a plethora of human interaction, the complex web of strings were pulled and released with amazing dexterity and skill. I was fascinated to discover the slightest change of movement could convey an entirely new emotion. Watching a story unfold this way is both mesmerizing and enchanting.
When I asked afterwards how long the puppeteers need to train, I was told a minimum of 10 years, but that two of the family members working tonight had started at the ages of 6 and 9! What skill and dedication.
Therefore I give the biggest round of applause to the five incredibly talented, hidden performers above the stage: Kate and Stan Middleton, Soledad Zarate, Kami Clifton and Bridget Whiting.
I love watching theatre that is obviously created with love and passion, rather than for commercial gain. It was clear the rest of the audience were as caught up as I was by the magical atmosphere, including the youngsters who sat like statues throughout, their eyes glued to the small stage in front of us.
Tonight’s performance was sold out; grab a ticket while there is still time and be transported by the world of puppetry. You won’t regret it.
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