Brilliant meta show about a puppetry masterclass where big name director Luke goes through his past, his relationships with partners, and the aftermath of the death of his estranged father. Acclaimed company Blind Summit letting off some steam.
With two students to assist, Henry jabs at the clichés of the masterclass format. Highly self-conscious, self-aware show. No set. Cold start off the front row seat.
Stripped puppetry of black plastic bags, the dark clouds of depression. There are puppets, too, after all the minimalism. Not just objects.
Very niche, but maybe that's necessary for meta. Such ironic distance. A loving poke between the ribs of the industry.
The director Luke brings a fascinating angle to dark human themes. Failure to become a child-ready man. Switching off father's life support. Philip Glass for mood music and to get the creative juices flowing.
Henry, through Mark Down's committed performance, makes a couple serious points amidst the fun-poking. The witching hour, shared time idea alone is worthy of exploration and plenty for the meat of the show. "When we can believe that objects are alive, we can believe anything." Operative word being 'when', the non-existent time that we simply agree to take place. The foundations of company Blind Summit.
Masters have their fun with the audience and the form. Not frequently laugh out loud funny, but smart and thought provoking. Go see if you work in the industry, or just love a little meta.