A gently tumbling visual buffet whose menu is resplendent with clowning, puppetry and magical storms. Lost Spectacles bring this simple story to Edinburgh, fresh from sweeping awards at National Student Drama Festival.
A man leaves his house for the first time and is instantly lost in the forest of the unknown. As he journeys to find his way through the inclement outside-world he discovers lonely figures, encounters parachuting puppets and befriends a misfit family.
The clowning exudes a Cartesian 'I clown therefore I am' sentiment; so gently captivating and committed that I was curious to meet the performers out of context to see if they could actually construct sentences. The overall performances, stuffed with gibberish yet fully comprehensive languages and frantic movements, leap with an energy that charge the audience. I hesitate to pick out specific performances as they equally held their own, a humble ensemble that never sought to dominate over one another. However – bumbling patriarchal/matriarchal figure was a particularly bizarre to watch. Whether it be snow, wind or rain the various storms are the shows highlights. They are treated with equal ingenuity that result in a rushing, dreamy spectacle, leaving the audience eager for another downpour. My only criticism, which is more of a suggestion, is that the story is too loose to merit any cathartic denouement. A really tight story and a few character arcs combined with the current level of quality would easily sweep 5 stars across the board. I urge you to the see this show. Be touched. Be awed. Be lost.
[Alex Forsyth]
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