| 21 August 2011
Summoning up the twisted ghost of Struwwelpeter to the Pleasance Courtyard, Grisly Tales from Tumblewater is full of the kind of cheerfully bloody morality stories that are sure to delight children and adults alike.Multi-talented performer Edward Jaspers plays innocent orphan Daniel Dorey, whose dreams of becoming a doctor are dashed when he reaches the grim town of Tumblewater, where it never stops raining. Forces beyond his understanding are planning to use him as a pawn in a decades-long battle involving his missing sister, and soon he’s on the run and embroiled with the Underground resistance fighters. As if this weren’t enough, everyone he meets has a song to sing and a story to tell. It’s astonishing how much Teasel Theatre have managed to pack into this hour, and although Jaspers is soaked with sweat by the end, nothing feels rushed.
Particular highlights include the song of the girl who wouldn’t stop picking her nose and the various chases between Dorey and the police told in the form of horse racing commentary, which makes them very exciting. However, even when things go off-course, Jaspers makes the most of it – when he misnames Dorey’s guardians as “Mr and Mr,” he stops, chuckles to himself and says to the audience, “Mr and Mr? That would be modern!” He easily includes the audience in the joke, and everyone enjoys feeling that they’re a part of his gang.
Ideal for kids from the age of 9 up, there are moments that do require a child of a sturdy constitution – the story of the baker finding a baby turns particularly macabre, and actually made me feel a bit sick. You might want to cover their ears for that one, but otherwise this is a thoroughly enjoyable, and wonderfully vibrant, show.
Grisly Tales from Tumblewater, Pleasance Courtyard, 3-28 August (not 16), 2pm
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