Little Jokes needs a little time

By B. Rawle

Little Jokes is a whimsical yet poignant family play about a little boy and his imagination. Anthony, played with very gentle likeability by Cathan McRoberts, conjures up an imaginary friend in the shape of the Victorian poet and purveyor of nonsense Edward Lear, in an effort to escape the emotional hardship of school bullying and absent parents. This low-tech show features live accordion music and shadow-puppetry as well as poetry and song, and the expressive ensemble dip in and out of many different characters during the show, even bringing to life one or two of Lear’s own.

The show suffers, however, from a lack of tension; the performers often let too much empty space invade the gaps between lines during scenes in the pursuit of naturalism and gravitas, allowing the audience to get ahead of them. That, coupled with a general lack of energy and urgency in the performances, made the show feel longer than its 60 minutes: a significant problem for a show aimed at families with children. Despite this problem, there are moments of satisfying slickness and deft humour, with some good performances. Hannah Coyle was pacy and expressive, with sharp reactions that made up in part for the lack of tautness between other actors, and Cailum Carragher was endearingly enthusiastic, especially in the role of Lear’s Dong With The Luminous Nose.

This is a great show for parents at the Fringe who have had enough of gibbering multi-coloured characters and are looking for a show that they can enjoy as much as their children do. However, I would recommend waiting until the show is a little further in to its run (finishing 10th August), by which time it might have become a little tighter.

★★★

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