The Greatest Liar in All the World @ Pleasance Courtyard

Every now and then, you come across a play that seems to ignore the lines between children’s and adults’ theatre, comedy and tragedy, circus act and bare monologue to convey the sublime itself. Familia de la Noche’s The Greatest Liar in All the World is not that play. It’s funnier.

The play is comprised of many different elements, beautifully wrought together as the tale told by a travelling circus hypnotist who has come to the end of his road. His troupe dare him, the greatest liar in all the world, to tell the truth this one time. As he recounts his past they come to his aid as puppeteers, musicians, actors, magicians and whatever people skilled at shadow puppetry are called. Individual scenes such as the birth of a wooden boy, a cheeky visit to booby island and the capturing of a regiment of fine British soldiers are compelling and visually arresting in their own right, but always tie back into the larger story being told.

The overall design of the piece has a well-considered home-made feel to it, with the troupe dressed in carefully run-down costumes, at some point sporting beautifully eerie burlap animal masks and at another stripping down to their sock garters. The piano player provides the perfectly unobtrusive soundtrack so not only the eyes, but the ears are very well catered for. Lastly, the mind is not forgotten, because apart from plenty of visual jokes and quick wit, the piece is at times very moving and manages to question yet another line: the one between lies and truth.