Reviews

‘Some thoughts sustain you; others can kill you,’ says Bert Wilkins, in another life-and-death situation. He faced a Turkish firing squad, survived severe frostbite and a polar bear attack, and then was fearless at the Western Front where he earned the nickname ‘The Mad Photographer’ – from the Germans – all before he was thirty years old.

This show is billed as a musical adaptation and lives up to much of the promise of infusing the play with raw performances of popular contemporary tunes. The songs are well selected and performed with gusto and enthusiasm. The instruments employed are simple but effective although much of the music relies heavily on the vocals and choral work. The playfulness of the music as a way of telling the story is one the strengths of the show.

From the creative geniuses of hit shows Blanc de Blanc, Fear and Delight and LIMBO, their newest brainchild has been unleashed, The Purple Rabbit - an hour-long roller coaster ride of acrobatics, comedy, magic, and so much more.

Entering ready for the show, we were greeted by a bright neon ‘The Purple Rabbit’ sign, with club tunes playing in the background. It felt like we were about to rave like it was 1999 and with an ominous show title, we were eager to see what we were in for.

Heroes is the first full length production presented by MYTH (Marloo Youth Theatre), and is a polished, well-presented production with outstanding production values. Nicely directed, it features a talented cast of 28 young people aged 9 to 18.

The story of Jamie - who writes stories for his best friend Megan, who is in hospital - the show takes us into the worlds of Jamie’s writing against the background of Jamie and Megan’s own journeys.