5 stars *****

Whatever I say about this show will not do it justice. It’s got (custom made!) puppets, live music, vocal harmonies, a beautiful set, philosophy, smatterings of science, a dark and hopeful story and entrancing characters (both the puppets and the people). It’s performed in a makeshift tent (the company’s travelling theatre) lit by candles and fairy lights in a car park round the back of Chambers Street, and the audience sits on mismatched cushions on benches crammed together with a few chairs.

You’ll want to sit near the front, so you can be close to the action, and you might want to take a blanket for your knees if you’re near the edge of a row. But mostly, you won’t notice the cold or the swaying sides of the tent or the silly tattoo fireworks because you’ll be so engaged with the story – of a young man who gives up something precious and his attempt to get it back – and maybe even more so after the show when they invite you to play with the puppets and talk to the cast.

A wonderful, wonder-full experience.

Reviewed by Laura

Bedlam Chambers, 19:00 (and 13:00 Sat and Sun) (1.5 hrs)

Until 28th Aug