Jack Pratchard @ Zoo Roxy

Intrigued by the idea of object theatre, or rather animation in motion on stage, I went to see Jonathan Storey's Jack Pratchard. On stage, I found one man and his story machine, a triangular easel-like construction filled with various painted tableaux which slotted into the main playing area, a frame in the center of this theatre easel.

The play begins gently with the animator inviting us in to the story and then slowly filling the playing frame with characters and settings. The story tells of Jack, a simple man from a small village, who dies and goes to the other side, to the city of the dead. There, a queen rules the underworld and every day, she waits in the hopes of being reunited with her husband, who is still in the land of the living. Things become complicated between the underworld and the world above, when the husband appears, literally, in the picture.

The animator moves smoothly between gramophone and theatre easel, changing music, slotting in different frames, bringing to life his story machine with his movement and narration. It's a pleasure to see these painted wooden objects come to life, but unfortunately, the story is too flat to retain interest for the entire 50 minutes of the show.