IN THE SHADOW OF TREES. To 7 January.

Manchester

IN THE SHADOW OF TREES
by Bob Frith

Royal Exchange Studio To 7 January 2006
27 Dec 4pm; 7.30pm, 28-30 Dec 1.30pm, 31 Dec; 3 Jan 11am; 1.30pm,
4-5 Jan 10.30am; 1.30pm 6-7 Jan 11am; 7.30pm, 7 Jan 11am; 1.30pm
Runs 1hr No interval

TICKETS: 0161 833 9833
www.royalexchange.co.uk
Review: Timothy Ramsden 23 December

A modern Jungle Book of a tale told with apparent simplicity but beautifully-observed detail.
It’s rare the youngest theatregoers can calculate the significance of an hour in bladder-time. There’s always someone needs to leave the auditorium, and it happened here with a couple of children. Amazingly, in inattention terms, that was it. Normally, when young children sit on mats at the front, some call out in distress and run to, or have to be rescued by, parents. Others shift about, or start walking on to the stage.

Not here. And, as remarkable was the concentration on the adult rows – not something universal when a proportion of those present are there primarily for their children’s sake.

Nor is this ‘easy’ theatre. A wordless narrative, it has physically dark sections and a potentially frightening, tall wood-spirit at a couple of points. Yet it’s a gentle myth, of a baby abandoned in the forest, brought up among some of Britain’s more contentious wildlife: fox, badger and grey squirrel. Here, though, all is friendly and only man is vile, a destructive intruder who bringing the technology of gun and camera to exult in killing the baby’s first friend, the fox.

As the light spreads from the wondering baby’s face to its body, as that body grows from infancy to childhood and a masked actor takes over from a puppet, there’s a variety of experiences shown that resonate with a young child’s discovery of what is, in this case, a very detailed, active environment. Animal movement and manipulation is built on detailed observation. Movement may be quick – a squirrel hopping along the ground - or slow: a fox sniffing out the territory. Precision and detail mean these actions take as much time as they need but never seem laborious.

Eventually, inevitably it seems, at some stage another human child makes its way into the woods and curiosity leads to a bond within the species, a new world for the feral child. It seems natural as masked human youth meets visiting, and similarly masked, human youth that the forest adventure is over. It’s been a fine-detailed, beautifully observed and finely paced exploration of a childhood experience.

Performers: Kathy Bradley, Morag Cross, Chris Davies, Jonny Quick, Mark Whitake, Joana Mendes, Catalina de Malos Goncalves, Cheila Lima

Director: Alison Duddle
Designer: Bob Frith
Lighting: Richard Owen
Dance consultant: Shobna Gulati

2005-12-30 23:23:27