Review: Kari – a Modern Mythical Tale, Union Chapel Upper Hall Bar

I’m sure you’ve pondered this question before at some point in your life: what would your three wishes be if you found a genie in a lamp? In Kari – a Modern Mythical Tale, this is one of three mythical stories played out in modern times by actor and writer Håkan Carlsson.

The titular tale of Kari, a forest creature from Swedish legend that a young boy falls in love with, runs throughout the evening, and then Carlsson swaps into the other two stories with just a simple piece of clothing: a flat cap for a security guard with the magic lamp and a bandage for a woman who gets bewitched by a stray cat. It’s an impressive simplicity, moving us in and out of each story while making each distinct.

Carlsson has a natural warmth; he radiates calm even as he tells stories with total panic. He feels solid and secure, his storytelling holding a comfort. It feels intimate, fitting nicely in Union Chapel. Carlsson really makes the audience feel like his stories are being shared with us rather than simply performed at us.

Each of the stories allows Carlsson to take a different approach, to change his storytelling slightly, altering his voice or mannerisms. I particularly enjoyed the story about the cat, in no small part due to Carlsson’s excellent panicked cat impersonation. This brings some large laughs from the audience. It’s so easy to visualise, allowing our imaginations to fill in and see a cat desperately howling at a window while being ignored by those inside.

There is a real humanity that runs in these three stories. Despite the mythical elements, the stories are about very recognisable things: love, connection, hope, and the wish for something better.

Carlsson’s warmth gives the entire evening a gentle quality, allowing the strange, magical elements in these modern myths to sit easily alongside moments of real humour and heart. A story could have been written fresh yesterday or based on a myth from hundreds or even thousands of years ago, but if it has an emotional heart that it can bring into the modern world, then it can connect with an audience today.

So, what would my three wishes be? Well, having thought about it a lot after the show finished, love and connection and hope are all wonderful things… but I think I’ll take the winning lottery numbers, please!  And yes, that probably says more about me than about Carlsson’s charming mythical tales…

Written by Håkan Carlsson
Produced by Unrestricted View & The Hatchery 

Kari – a Modern Mythical Tale has completed its performances at The Union Chapel