Tales of Foreign Lands and People
Skilled performer brought down by weak material
Rating: ★★
Company: Jazz Haz
Genre: Storytelling
Venue: KV — MTYP - Mainstage
The morals are made in three folklorish stories — all originating on a never-named tropical-island — using song, verse, drumming and pantomime.
This sparsely staged production suffers from a failure to launch. Story is primarily to blame. In one tale, we meet three brothers and the blind women they pester. A little girl who shines shoes with tamarin paste, brown sugar and butter also drives a lacklustre plot in another story. An orphaned boy in a poor fishing village headlines the final myth.
Sadly, none of the short tales have enough sparkle or a strong directional plot line to keep young audiences engaged for the duration.
Audain is a skilled and likeable performer who would be better served with sharper material.- Robin Summerfield
Pacing also hits some speed bumps in each of the 20-minute-or-so stories. Audain is a skilled and likeable performer who would be better served with sharper material.
