Showing @ Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Tues 04 Feb only @ 19:30

Sometimes productions which are technically inventive suffer from attempting an over-complicated narrative. In The Seas of Organillo, master puppeteer Stephen Mottram has taken on a subject as basic as it is universal: the journey we all make from conception to birth. Mottram reimagines the amniotic world as the titular primordial waters: flitting fish become wriggling sperm, the bubbles they enter divide and multiply. Reptilian-humanoid figures dive in and ride the gentle currents.

The organillo referred to in the title is a primitive homemade miniature street organ, an instrument composer Sebastian Castagna refers to as “the voice of innocence”. Its sounds form the basis for Castagna’s evocative electro-acoustic score, from swelling waves to gentle sighs, bursting bubbles to rattling oarlocks and ambient white noise. Mottram’s puppets are exquisite, both in their construction and in his expert manipulation of their movements, and coupled with Castagna’s score this makes for a deeply sensory experience. At times, The Seas of Organillo feels like a nature documentary with no commentary. With no distinct narrative, the running time can feel slightly long, though the overall effect is similar to being lulled very gently to sleep – the perfect return to infancy and innocence.