A charmingly skilful performance strengthens a migration story that loses its way. Rating
Good
Quattrox4, a contemporary circus company, arrive in Scotland from Milan, bringing Gretel to Imaginate, the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival. The show is aimed at ages 5-10 years and is not only written and directed by Clara Storti but beautifully performed by her.
Gretel is a solo story, based on a fairytale theme, which follows a young woman who lives in a small house and values every tiny thing about it. She even makes friends out of some of the objects and enjoys chats with them. But after a terrible storm she is forced to leave her home and travel in search of a new place to live. It’s a tale of migration, determination and resilience in the face of difficulty, demonstrating the possibility of self-reinvention.
Storti has an impressive talent both for clowning and as an aerial rope artist. At the start of the show, she has the children eating out of the palm of her hand as Gretel performs athletic, crazy physical feats, twisting her limbs into extraordinary shapes while she interacts with the objects in her home. There’s very little language used and most is not English, but it’s a clearly told tale, with some lovely, humorous moments created through expressive sounds that have the audience laughing out loud.
The show encourages the audience to actively imagine Gretel’s world, visualising the key that opens the door and acknowledging her imaginary friends. She cheekily sprays out water, making the children laugh and creating unexpected beauty in the space, which is fabulously lit by Luca Carbone. The sound design by Andrea Ferrario too is delightful, bringing varied atmospheres and rhythms that enhance the physicality and emotional elements. It’s great to hear the children talking about the performance as it rolls out, questioning what Gretel is doing and why, which sets things up perfectly for the next segment involving her response to the catastrophe.
At this point, however the show loses its way a little. As Gretel sets out on her search it becomes much less punchy. There is some fabulous rope work, which emphasises the idea of peril, but it seems to go on a little too long and the audience today became decidedly restless. Gretel is clearly emotionally impacted by her quest, but even when this is portrayed and then after she resolves her dilemma the level of emotional engagement between her and the audience never quite returns to its earlier levels, meaning the conclusion of the show too, although positive, lacks impact.
That said, it’s fabulous to see such high level International performance being offered to this age group, and highly relevant to illustrate ideas of migration at this time. Gretel certainly offers an ideal opportunity to open up conversations around this theme, and it’s delivered well, comfortably couched in clowning.
Written and directed by: Clara Storti
Lighting design by: Luca Carbone
Sound design by: Andrea Ferrario
Gretel is aimed at ages 5-10 years and plays at Assembly Roxy until Sunday 7 June.
