Canadian shadow puppeteer Jeff Achtem says he spends a lot of time in a dark room in Montreal. Thank goodness this eccentric boffin ventures out, because his current show is an absolute delight. It is as child friendly as a bag of sweets and occasionally as sugary, but also wonderfully enchanting.
The narrative is quite simple. An evil imp is pursuing a bird, as snakes, puffer fish and yawning snails all chip in. The fun is in watching this unfold onscreen while simultaneously seeing the ingenious process.
The scampering mini-skirted puppetmaster works visibly onstage, a character himself in all senses. Aided by cutouts, Heath Robinson gadgetry and very mobile hands — nothing as trite as bunny ears here — the chase moves from sea to sky, with Achtem adding excitable live squawking.
While the plot is thin it builds to two breathtaking moments. Firstly when the audience joins in to create a cinematic underwater seascape, waving reeds and rubbery creatures, and finally, in a gasp-inducing climax, when Achtem — “eat your heart out Avatar” — delivers a 3D finale that lives up to its ambitious billing.
A heartwarming, funny show for children of all ages.
Swamp Juice runs until May 5 (020 7478 0100, sohotheatre.com) .
