A beautifully crafted and enchanting marionette show, layered with intriguing questions about identity and the human relationship with nature. Rating
Excellent!
The Bear That Wasn’t is a delightful new production from String Theatre, an award-winning marionette company who routinely create outstanding puppetry shows suitable for young audiences. Inspired by Frank Tashlin’s book of the same name, the story describes the adventures of a playful bear cub who is inadvertently swept away from his forest home to a factory run by robots, mistaken for a new worker. Here his natural bear behaviour is altered as he finds himself influenced by human (and robot!) actions. There’s silliness, enchantment, but also important observations about human impact on the natural world.
This piece is visually lovely. Beautifully crafted puppets, hand-carved by a team of puppetmakers (Amy Rowe, Luke Lee, Lucrecia Sánchez Ruiz, Soledad Zárate), are given enormous character as they are skilfully manipulated by the three puppeteers (Bori Mezo, Simona Ferrara, Soledad Zárate). The young bear and his mother in particular are full of animated personality, portraying a joyous relationship filled with cuteness, care and emotion. A series of robots with flashing lights (including a slightly surreal, noticeably repurposed toaster and a twirling boss created from a router) bring a contrasting action and energy to the puppetry, representing an industrialised world.
Within the letterbox space between the marionette bridge and stage, a whole, defined world is created, where imaginations easily become immersed in the storytelling. There’s plenty to enjoy in the funny scenes – especially a chorus of amusing dancing geese that have the whole audience giggling as they perform, and later when chaos ensues as the cub hilariously disrupts the work in the factory. The excellent soundtrack (Jimmy Sheals) is particularly effective in this factory section, accompanying a computer game sequence where the cub jumps along a conveyor belt, and additionally providing funny robot voices, all bringing lots of laughs.
But alongside the laughter, the bear’s adventures raise questions about identity (what makes him a bear?) and about human interactions with the natural world. He meets other bears, one who works unwillingly in a circus, talented but forced to perform against his nature. Another is kept captive in a cage wearing a straitjacket and is clearly deeply unhappy. In both scenes, human performers are visible, revealing how mean and uncaring we can be. It’s sad to see, but importantly challenges humankind’s relationship with nature and our impact on it. This section perhaps needs tightening up a bit, as the younger members of the audience got a little distracted as it went on. They were, however, pulled back in at the conclusion of the performance, which brings manic chaos, celebrating natural freedom and the resilience of the wild.
The Bear That Wasn’t is non-verbal and designed to be inclusive, welcoming d/Deaf and hard of hearing audiences. It’s also available with audio description for blind and partially-blind audience members. The show is advertised as open to all ages, and is suitable for young children from about 4+ as well as playful adults. At only 45 minutes long, it’s the ideal length for a family outing and is a hugely enjoyable walk in the woods.
Production Designer & Scenic Artist: Alejandro Sánchez Rodríguez (Ale)
Scenic, Prop & Puppet Painter: Anaïs Máximo Murcia
Lighting Designer: Alfonso Lázaro De La Fuente
Puppet Makers: Amy Rowe, Luke Lee, Lucrecia Sánchez Ruiz, Soledad Zárate
Puppet Costumer: Amy Rowe
Costume Designer And Maker: Isabel Vázquez Deza
Music Composer: Jimmy Sheals
Dramaturg & Director: Mikel Fernandino
The Bear That Wasn’t has completed its performance at Parkside Yards but is now on a short UK tour until Friday 18 September.
