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A pertinent message in a joyous family showSummary
Rating
Excellent
The House with Chicken Legs takes place in the imposing 916 seat capacity Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank. It is a mammoth job for performers to fill such a large, iconic venue (especially when it’s packed with young families!) but Les Enfants Terrible’s production immediately enchants the audience and gently guides them into and through a joyous world of absurdities.
The story follows Marinka (Eve de Leon Allen) and her Baba (Lisa Howard). They live in a house with chicken legs and never stay anywhere long enough to form any proper relationships with anyone —anyone living that is… Death is a major theme and it is handled beautifully, making for some powerful moments ruminating on existence and the gratitude we really all should have.
A true lesson in adapting a novel, this dramatisation perfectly utilises theatrical devices to create a striking and unique visual story. The book itself conjures such vivid and strange imagery and Oliver Lansley and James Seager‘s production truly stands up to this. The puppetry, designed by Samuel Wyer really gives the show its flavour and its identity. Gentle and thoughtful representations of humans and animals transport us inside the story — I felt like I was a child being read a bedtime story, full of imagination and glee.
The direction is creatively exuberant yet perfectly clear: the clarity is obviously necessary for a show suitable for children, but adults will not feel isolated by the storytelling. The scenes themselves, mostly duologues, often allow momentum to slow due to the contrast from the energetic and playful transitions to what are quite conventional and stagnant moments. If the scenes carried that same pace and used the ensemble more consistently, the show would have even more wonder and brilliance. Saying that, there are times that this does happen, for example when Yaga (played by Stephanie Levi John) tells Marinka of her own origin story. This is a delicately crafted moment where we in the audience almost become Marinka on stage, in that we are hearing about her story through her ears, whilst being alongside her. It is played out with puppets and books being manipulated and works brilliantly, really inviting us into the mysterious and distinctive world of the story.
De Leon Allen as Marinka remains on stage throughout and her performance is exceptional. She plays a child with a real attention to detail. Marinka isn’t stupid or thoughtless but is still extremely youthful. Other notable performances come from the multi-roling ensemble, all of whom find delineation in the multiple characters they play and create stunning physical imagery.
Alexander Wolfe’s original music carries the piece and certain songs honestly feel like modern classics. De Leon Allen’s duet with Michael Barker (playing Ben) is a heartfelt and truthful song on friendship. It is profound and extremely relatable, speaking to the part in all of us that feels we don’t belong. Many of these songs I know will exist for years to come, hopefully not just in drama school audition rooms!
Death is not an easy concept and The House with Chicken Legs shapes a beautiful story using it as the subject matter. Packed with well performed and well written melodies, this musical is one for the ages, for people of any age! I implore you to see this if you want to dream a little this holiday time.
Written by Sophie Anderson
Adaptation & Co-Director: Oliver Lansley
Co-Director: James Seager
Set Designer: Jasmine Swan
Costume & Puppet Designer: Samuel Wyer
Composer & Sound Designer: Alexander Wolfe
Lighting Designer: Jane Lalljee
Video Designer: Nina Dunn
The House with Chicken Legs runs at Queen Elizabeth Hall until 30 December. More details
