@ Underbelly Cowgate, Edinburgh, until Sat 30 Aug 2015 @11:20
Emerging theatre company, Disparat Theater, present this beautifully told tale of a plethora of unfinished literary works. In a room full of books a young girl finds solace and friendship amongst the imagined worlds and fictitious characters within the pages surrounding her. The audience are treated to snippets of some of the most famous unfinished works: Emma by Charlotte Bronte, The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens and The Mysterious Stranger by Mark Twain to name but a few, but as the story continues something more sinister seems to be at play.
An apparently disembodied voice speaks to the young girl (Holly Kilpatrick) throughout the play, choosing books for her to read and encouraging her to be happy in the world in which she lives, but is this voice her conscience? A character from a book? A strict parent? When the answer is made clear the audience realise how truly clever this play, written by performer Avital Lvova and George Vere, really is. The cast, many of whom play multiple characters, deliver their parts soundly, adding to the magic within the theatre with music, singing, dancing and costume.
It is a poignant story under the banner that ‘a good book has no ending’ and explores both the wonders and the worries that living within one’s imagination can bring. As the dramatic climax approaches, Kilpatrick’s character is warned not to read one book in particular as it could have disastrous consequences but of course this means she wants to read it….
This is Disparat Theater’s first play and a worthy debut, the audience eager to hear the next extract and discover if the protagonist really will read that mysterious book.
Find The Wee Review on Twitter and Facebook
Follow Aisling on Twitter @aisling1105