Company: Rabbit in a Hat Productions, Toronto

Genre: Puppetry

Venue: 10 — School of Contemporary Dancers

Paul Van Dyck brings to stage Milton's epic story of humanity's fall from grace. Remaining faithful to the language, he modernizes the tale with a surprisingly well-synchronized Rolling Stones soundtrack, computer generated projections which help set the scenes and populate the nether regions, and highly articulated Adam and Eve puppets to round out the cast.

It was surprising to hear the voice of Adam done in a voice that sounded distinctly like Jimmy Stewart to my ears, and there was something deeply uncomfortable about watching the puppeteer meticulously arrange Eve on top of Adam so they could copulate for the first time. Puppet sex always makes me queasy.

It's a little slow and hella biblical but it is Paradise Lost so that's a given.

A graceful puppeteer and talented orator, Van Dyck does an admirable job returning us to paradise only to cast us out once again.