Hag @ Underbelly, Cowgate

The Hag is Baba Yaga, the witch from Eastern European folk-tales who eats children. This production, involving actors and some puppetry, will appeal to blood-thirsty, ghoul-loving ten year olds plus.

This is the story of Lisa, charmingly played by Sarah Hoare, who braves Baba Yaga's frightening lair, hung with lit-up skulls and her encounter is part of a journey in coming to terms with bereavement, the loss of her mother. Lisa is bullied into going by her two step-sisters – who seem to have walked out of Cinderella – and these are played with pantomime humour by Theone Rashleigh and Tom McCall.

The puppetry manipulation is, unfortunately, very poor, especially that of the doll. However, it is the role of Baba Yaga that dominates the show, and its success depends ultimately on the actor/puppeteer's skills: Laura Cairns plays it with a Glaswegian accent and sinister drawl which is hugely effective. Yet the puppet does not come alive, as Cairns' expression draws attention away from it. She does not make enough of the ghoulish humour possible in her role: such as the eating of children's toes.  Overall, the whole show feels under-rehearsed.