Review: Heimer, Lyric Hammersmith

A minimal stage with just a bright red and white striped lighthouse made from cardboard boxes greets the audience before musician Jeanzia Guan enters with a banjo to play and sing a song to introduce the concept of the show. Before long, she is joined by her fellow performers, Yunshu Jiang and Izzy Jiang, who, using a cardboard box to mimic a stage, push lollipop sticks with stuck-on characters up and down the inside of the box to mimic the action that is to come. The musical performance is accomplished, but the props at this stage are less so. Its amateurish nature is not an auspicious start to proceedings.

All that changes when the puppets proper make an entrance. Heimer is a story aimed at young children, exploring the reality of living with elderly relatives who have dementia. Guan, in character, takes a phone call to say that her father has Alzheimer’s and cannot live on his own anymore. She agrees that he can come to stay, and Grandpa Heimer enters the stage in puppet form to join his grandson, also in puppet form.

Both marionettes are utterly delightful: full of expression and realistic movement. They transcend their physical reality to become their own beings, whilst the puppeteers operating the strings appear to fade into invisibility. Grandson Heimer loves being beside the sea, and his grandfather is happy to be there too. Together, they enjoy adventures with effective accessories illustrating sea life. The audience follows along avidly.

There are some lovely touches: translucent dust sheets are blown up to become jellyfish, before creating waves as prop fish leap in and out of the sea. A frightening storm with grandpa at the helm of the board, and his grandson being thrown about in the back, becomes a metaphor for the mental confusion and difficult journey that the two are experiencing. Grandad Heimer often does not recognise his family.

Guan has misgivings halfway through the piece as she feels that she cannot cope with her father anymore. However, she is persuaded by her son to keep him with the family as she is reminded of the Sea Game that she used to play with her father, which is now being replicated by her son. Grandfather Heirmer’s ultimate demise is handled touchingly well.

I suspect the young children present would not have understood the reference to Alzheimer’s, and thus, the slightly awkward interventions of Guan taking phone calls are really not needed. They would understand, however, the confusion the grandfather experiences and, despite this, the joy he and his grandson experience in their make-believe world. It is a celebration of the comfort found in innocent, childlike experiences and a reminder of the peace and happiness that pretend play can bring.

The show finishes with a return of the banjo and a song: this time appropriately placed and relevant. Children are encouraged to stay behind on stage to explore the props and are given stickers to extend their experience.

Writer, Director, Composer, Sound Designer & Puppeteer: Jeanzia Guan
Set Designer, Puppet Technician, Puppet Maker & Puppeteer: Yunshu Jiang
Puppet Designer, Puppet Maker, Lighting Designer & Puppeteer: Izzy Jiang
Creative & Executive Producer: Portia Yuran Li

Heimer has completed its run at The Lyric Hammersmith but will return at the 2026 Edinburgh Festival