Showing @ Venue 13, Edinburgh, Thu 21 – Sat 23 Aug @ 10:00

There is a shimmering gem of a play tucked in the Fringe setting of Venue 13. It is the story of Persephone, supposedly the kidnapped bride of Hades, god of the underworld. But in this retelling, Persephone is a woman in charge of her own destiny. It is a compelling coming of age story in surreal and stunningly colourful dancing silhouettes.

The entire production occurs behind a screen, where lights projected against the dancers and minimal props create a haunting visual spectacle of movement, colour and shadow. They masterfully use puppetry techniques, turning the screen into a stained glass tapestry of springtime scenery, with illustration style cut outs of flowers and tress and the roots of the underworld, with depth-creating changes in pigmentation. The dance and the violin are so full-bodied and communicative, it is difficult to comprehend there isn’t a moment of dialogue.

Persephone embodies youthfulness, communing with nature on the surface with her mother Demeter, goddess of the harvest. But in other moments Persephone shows powerful depth and potential darkness. The sheer beauty of the puppetry and dance carries this story into a realm of uplifting imaginative heights. The production takes away the traditional narrative of female imprisonment to reveal a deeply complex character. Her journey to the surface and back again, to satisfy her own growing strength as a goddess and love of her mother, is a transformation she never quite resolves. But instead, she learns to find a way to thrive within that tension.

Showing as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2014