Autumn Portaits
Autumn Portraits begins as one might expect, with puppeteer Eric Bass donning a mask and silently bending the will and the actions of one of his many, many puppets. But Bass quickly abandons this stereotype of the puppeteer as master, and thus begins five intertwined scenes, each more intriguing than the last. The performance features beautiful handcrafted puppets, impressive props, song, laughter, joy and morality, all of which combine to create a piece of sheer theatrical poetry that stimulates and inspires.
From the tale of an old Jewish shoemaker coming to terms with his impending death, to a song from a Music Hall era performer who uses a very specific key, Autumn Portraits delights in taking the audience around the world with varying methods of storytelling. Featuring flavours of Vaudeville, audience interaction and fables, the show's real strength lies in its silence, and it manages to say so much without words by creating vignettes that instill real emotion with a few simple movements.
Bass and Sandglass Theater have managed to conquer that very rare of theatrical feats; the ability to reach out to the audience through the medium of an often misunderstood artform. But what Autumn Portraits does exceptionally well is create short pieces that present the audience with the tiniest taste of what is possible, giving them just enough so that they leave the theatre hungry for more. Moving, beautiful and completely engrossing, this piece celebrates classical puppetry and performance while utilising the best of contemporary performance and international storytelling.
The Skinny at Manipulate Festival 2015:
Read our coverage of Manipulate at theskinny.co.uk/theatre
Autumn Portraits, Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, run ended