StageTalk Magazine reviewer Mike Whitton takes a look back over some of the shows he has seen in the past twelve months in Bristol and Bath. He reveals his overall favourite and explains why some shows turned out to be a bit disappointing.

In just under an hour the four members of Little Wolf Gang give vivid and lively accounts of three musical folk tales from Russia. The show opens with A Daring Fiddler Meets a Devilish Stranger at the Crossroads, a supernatural story that gives violinist Fiona Barrow plenty of opportunity to display her expressive and idiomatic skills, ably supported by Eddy Jay on accordion. Narrator Martin Maudsley revels in the devilish details, and makes it clear that audience participation is expected.

“. . This performance by Lucy Ellison is as intense and concentrated a piece of acting as you are likely to find anywhere on the contemporary stage . . . The direction by Christopher Haydon gets the most from the scenario, leading his actress in such a way as to maintain interest with great economy of stagecraft . . . George Brant does not offer any alternative point of view or any answers, but he does raise some fundamental, important and urgent questions about the way we go about killing one another. This is theatre at its most vital, brilliantly acted.”

” . . . There are some lovely touches throughout the performance, not least the fact that the very mean, very hungry dragon is also very Welsh. The re-use of materials and colours (and, of course, actors) threads a motif throughout the show, implying a little blurring of fictionality and reality. This might all be a dream of one of the campers, or so it seems. . . A good show, performed with an abundance of warmth, energy and love for the original material. . .”