A Note of Explanation @ Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh
Vita Sackville-West's miniature book is adapted for the first time, as part of Formation Festival
On pages measuring just 39mm x 10mm, Vita Sackville-West wrote her 1922 miniature book, A Note of Explanation, for the library of Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House. The story was lost for over 90 years until it was discovered during a renovation, then published widely for the first time in 2017. Directed by Emily Ingram, Some Kind of Theatre present a work-in-progress preview of the play and are the first theatrical group to bring this story on to the stage.
The tale centres on the sprite Quercus, played with gusto by Gillian Goupillot, who lives in the queen’s dolls’ house and who has been creating a mess much to the dismay of its maker, Edwin, played by the versatile Justin Skelton. Quercus has lived an exciting life and played a crucial role in many enchanting fairytales over the years, from Cinderella to Jack and the Beanstalk. Suddenly, she finds herself trapped inside the dolls’ house. It is here that Quercus takes us back through some of her adventures.
Despite basic props – a ladder helps the giant become tall behind a screen, Jack’s cow Daisy is a puppet head upon a hand and Cinderella’s carriage and the dolls’ house itself are portrayed through shadow images – the cast bring the magic of the story to life. Imogen Reiter skilfully transforms from Cinderella to Jack with ease and raises laughs from the crowd as she struggles to banter with buyers for her cow. Skelton is equally charming in his many guises from Shellycoat to the giant.
However, behind the fun of the fairytale, there’s a serious message. The dolls’ house, Quercus discovers, hasn’t even been made to play with. It’s been built to showcase all of the materials which have been taken from across the British Empire as a symbol of engineering prowess. And Quercus’s home, the once beautiful oak tree, was chopped down without any consideration for the sprite who lived there.
The play shines a mirror on the selfish way in which man has continually taken for frivolous gain without consideration about the environmental impact. But there’s also a magic sprinkle of hope: Edwin recognises his error and plants a new acorn so that Quercus can go back to her forest. Though we may have come a long way down the wrong road, there’s still time to change.
Formation Festival: A Note of Explanation @ Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh, until 3 March