21 November 2009 – 31 January 2010

Somewhat based around Stravinsky’s 1911 ballet, Petrushka tells the story of three puppets and their controlling puppet master. The rather mischievous Petrushka, a Russian relative of our own Mr. Punch, is the pride of his masters show – a puppet who can move on his own without any strings. He attempts to escape the clutches of his master but is drawn back out of love for the graceful ballerina puppet. Like Punch, Petrushka has his ancestry in the Italian Commedia dell’arte character of Pulcinella and it is great to see the influence of Commedia in this production with a chorus of Zanni puppets who appear throughout the show to tidy up.

The puppets are gorgeous to look at and the operation is truly outstanding. The three operators Ronnie Le Drew, Mandy Travis and Rebekah Wild are dressed in black velvets allowing them to disappear so one might imagine Petrushka really is moving on his own. The blend between live action and puppet work really brings something special to this production especially with Josh Darcy’s silky voice and perfect meanness as the manipulative puppet master. The action is cleverly choreographed with Stravinksy’s score, played as a piano duet by David Nettle and Richard Markham, and the play is smartly contextualised with some haunting soundscapes and an intelligent lighting design.

Petrushka is visually splendid and like a great Russian novel guides us on emotive tale interspersed with humorous moments, a real treat for adults and children alike to watch over the Christmas period.

Address: The Little Angel Theatre, 14 Dagmar Passage, Islington, N1 2DN
Website: www.littleangeltheatre.com
Email: info@littleangeltheatre.com
Phone: 020 7226 1787