Book of Shadows is the new show from the talented duo behind Shunga Alert! and Space Hippo. As with those shows, the centrepiece is Seri Yanai’s fantastical paper puppets.
Unlike the mainstream (albeit still offbeat) sexploits of Shunga Alert!, the story by Daniel Wishes is this time considerably more niche and esoteric. It centres on a tarot-reading teen sent to live with her grandmother, who claims to be the centuries-old mystic Madame Blavatsky. Throughout its many but curiously static twists and turns, the tale is really a heartfelt paean to the power of unfettered imagination.
The aesthetic of the show is simply gorgeous. Homespun yet immersive, it is a unique vision sustained consistently from start to finish, and augmented effectively by recorded music from Ghostwing. The effect is of a hypnotic live-action anime and is particularly dazzling in its more abstract moments.
It’s the underdeveloped, meandering, and dramatically flat story that’s something of a let-down here. Its rapid shifts demand close attention, even as its narration in exaggerated and at times grating accents works against the desire to listen closely. The tale has an undeniable dream-like quality. The flipside of that, however, is that watching it can feel like having someone recount their dream to you for an hour.
The story doesn’t seem to know what kind of audience it wants. It isn’t one seeking comedy. The sharp wit of the team’s previous shows is still in evidence in the very set-up of the story, in the accompanying deadpan zine for the show, and in the occasional zinger, such as the line “Satanism is Ayn Rand for Goths.” However, unlike in those previous shows, those moments are far too few, and they are sorely missed.
It isn’t for an audience seeking drama, or horror, either: there’s little tension or engagement to be had, nor does it draw sufficiently upon serious emotional darkness. One can’t fault the ode to imagination, but imagination that isn’t balanced by the constraints of structure leads to unsatisfying stories.
What saves the show is the art and artistry. Not only are the puppets fascinating, and the drawn scenes and backdrops endlessly appealing, but the talent in putting them in motion, in creating close-ups and visual rhythm, is impressively skilled. While Book of Shadows may not be entirely effective storytelling theatre, it remains gratifyingly beautiful to look at.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
