Letaniko Theatre’s new production of Danny & Dessi’s ‘A Slow Tale’ needs to be slower if it’s to distinguish itself as a piece of children’s theatre. That was my takeaway from this pretty classic tale of an underdog making good and learning important life lessons along the way.
The snail puppets are cute enough, as is the verdant tabletop set upon which the action takes place. Moody, our hero, is introduced as nice but lacking confidence, and the whipping boy of Kiril, a larger, stronger, yellow gastropod. The snail bully’s sister, Rosie – pink of course – is Moody’s best chum and cheerleader.
Duly humiliated in a race to begin the show (it’s over far too quickly, Kiril is obviously doping), Moody sets out on a journey of self-discovery. Along the way, he meets Jana the tortoise, and a ginormous Duck which turns ally when he disinfects its foot with his slime. Suitably instructed by these new chums, he returns a braver, smarter snail and saves the day when a storm strikes.
“The snail puppets are cute enough, as is the verdant tabletop set upon which the action takes place.“
It’s a very safe, child-friendly story, although I’m not sold on Kiril telling his sister to “Shut Your Mouth”, which seems rather aggressive for 5+ theatre. The puppetry it carried off perfectly well, and the set is elegantly designed. If the voices aren’t exceptional, they are perfectly adequate to meet the needs of clear storytelling. It could be more considered and a little less busy all of the time, but it’s certainly not dull.
The result is a good kids’ show. However, other than a nod to snail slime and their shells, there’s nothing overtly unique to this snail-centred adventure. If only it made more of the snail’s slow and considered point of view as an antedote to hastier agents in the world, or dwelled a little more on the beauty and natural history of snails, A Slow Tale could conjure more meaning and beauty.
Perhaps when the show was first created, the bar for kids’ theatre was a little lower and less ambitious. However, each August – and this year is no exception – a flood of phenomenal family productions washes into Edinburgh. It’s a company amongst which A Slow Tale will struggle to distinguish itself.
It does, however, remain an excellent idea for a piece of theatre and deserves further development.
Show details
Venue: Venue 53: theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall, Nicolson Street, EH8 9DW (Google Maps)
Date(s): Tue 12 Aug to Sat 16 Aug (5 shows)
Time(s): 9:30am (40 mins)
Age recommendation: 3+
Price: From £12 (concessions available)
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