This is an imagined reworking of the Orpheus and Euridice myth by Little Bulb Theatre in which Django Reinhardt, the famed gypsy jazz guitarist of the inter-war years Paris, acts out the role of Orpheus opposite a nightclub chanteuse. It’s a flimsy conceit, but allows a very talented group to entertain with some style. If you like your gypsy guitarists suave, dumb and with a permanent air of noble sacrifice, this Django is for you. . . . The silliness of much of the dumb show mixed with an effervescent bonhomie and vivacity of presentation, together with a great sense of fun and no small musical talent, whisk the whole concoction into a joy not to be missed.

Life Raft is undeniably bleak, and at times all seems futile: ‘Let’s row’- ‘Where to?’- ‘To the end.’ There is cynicism, too, as when democracy is dismissed as a system where ‘even idiots get the vote’. But we also see signs of hope for humanity. A key turning point in the play occurs when, driven by superstition, the children decide that their troubles are rooted in the fact that there are thirteen of them. What follows is a kind of dreadful balloon debate, when each of them is urged to justify his or her survival and nominate someone who should not be spared . . . Bleak, yes, but very powerful.

” . . . Exactly as theatre should be, Constellations is vivid, honest and electrifying. It excites the imagination and enflames debate. It strips away and remoulds the narrative structure in order to create a spectacle that makes us question the very nature of our reality. It shows us a world of infinite possibilities and inevitable truths as it leads us through some dark, uncomfortable routes, and still it should leave you feeling warmed, positive and inspired . . .”

“The play, which in Rachel Wagstaff’s adaption necessarily contracts much of Faulks’s novel, concerns in no small part the lives of the sappers and in particular one Jack Firebrace . . . the brave and steadfast miner is played with sensitivity, dignity and authority by Peter Duncan who effects an unsentimental pathos in the role . . . The production remains a powerful testimony to one of the darkest periods in European history. Last night’s audience were treated to a cameo performance by the author who came on to read some battle orders. Clearly enjoying the experience he waved his cap as he left the stage after the curtain call. ”