A backstage area greets the audience, with an old-fashioned caravan, dressing room mirrors on scattered tables and the words, Wise Children in large starry light bulbs. The floor is being swept and the cast are warming up in perky caps and vintage shorts. We are immediately in the 1930s and you can almost smell the greasepaint.

Twin chorus girls, Nora and Dora Chance are celebrating their 75th birthday and look back over their life through the twentieth century, having been invited to their father, the great actor Melchior Hazard’s 100th birthday party. Their story is played out through child-size puppets and various performers, both male and female. Gender is a very fluid concept in this production, and with cross-dressing and mistaken identity, it gives a knowing nod to Shakespeare’s comedies. Shakespeare even makes an appearance when Melchior in his younger days puts on a show, Where there’s a Will, to great acclaim. Costumes are colourful and the music is delightful – a mixture of classic songs such as Let’s Face the Music and Dance are interspersed between the narrative as well as specially written songs using words from Carter’s writing. An onstage band provides both a wonderful accompaniment and a magical atmosphere, and there is some fabulous dancing throughout.

This is a joyous, bawdy romp which tackles some pretty unsavoury subjects. Blood is not always thicker than water and here, theatre often makes up for family dysfunction. Rice has put together a great ensemble, where most of the performers take many roles, but special mention must be given to Gareth Snook as the older Dora, who is the main narrator, Katy Owen as eccentric, saucy Grandma Chance and Paul Hunter as Gorgeous George, a very funny, old style comedian who literally brought the house down.

 Wise Children was Angela Carter’s last novel, published in 1991, the year before she died. Emma Rice, the director and adaptor, has made no secret of her admiration for this writer, and has even named her new theatre company, Wise Children, as well as it being their first production. My only criticism is that it dragged a little in places and I think that with a little bit of editing, it would leave the audience wanting more. But, as the twins say, ‘What a joy it is to dance and sing’.

★★★★☆    Karin André      15^th November 2018

Photo credit – Steve Tanner