Box Tale Soup are back in Edinburgh with their 2023 Fringe hit Casting the Runes, a heart-stopping adaptation of M.R. James’ supernatural thriller, and their inventive, imaginative and sublimely skilful adaptation of Gulliver’s Travels, a breathtaking journey as you’ve never seen it before.
Spooky, tense, and scary, this adaptation of Casting the Runes brings classic horror to life, weaving in elements from M.R. James’ other ghost stories. Box Tale Soup are known for their transportive puppetry, and all the characters in this haunting thriller are brought to life by founders and artistic directors, Antonia Christophers and Noel Byrne, with their trademark magic. With brilliant original music by Dan Melrose, the show has been refreshed with a female heroine and includes some clever nods to films inspired by the short story.
Gulliver’s Travels will reimagine the classic story and challenge what people think they know – going far beyond the infamous tiny people of Lilliput to the oft forgotten giants of Brobdingnag, the flying island of Laputa, and a race of intelligent horses. Featuring a huge range of Box Tale Soup’s remarkable puppetry, this sharply satirical story is touching and challenging, remaining profoundly relevant today. Using original sea shanties to tie the stories together, audiences will be transported on an astonishing journey through Swift’s wild epic in full theatrical splendour.
Box Tale Soup comment, Everybody loves a good ghost story, and Casting the Runes is a great one! It’s a fantastic example of M.R. James’ skill in building tension and dread; theatre is a brilliant medium to allow the horror to unfold live, right in front of you… And then, of course, our use of puppets adds a sense of otherworldliness, engaging the imagination. Following this is our version of Gulliver’s Travels; people make the mistake of thinking it’s a children’s book but, in fact, it’s full of dark themes and sharp, witty satire that’s still so relevant today. It was an incredible challenge to adapt, conjuring up so many different lands and creatures, but audiences tell us they’ve been blown away by the creativity on display – this is a show that always has another trick up its sleeve!
Box Tale Soup work as sustainably as possible, using recycled and repurposed materials wherever they can. Many of the stunning puppets have started life as frozen pizza boxes, and this will be their 3rd completely paperless Fringe.
From the lighting and original haunting score, down to each costume that incorporated texts from M.R. James’ novels within the clothes, Casting the Runes is a wonder to see. If you think you’re brave enough to discover the truth behind the supernatural, then this is the show for you – ★★★★★ The Skinny on Casting the Runes. Gulliver is simply wonderful, and holds spellbound an audience with the widest age range you’re likely to see on the Fringe. It’s a magical adaptation for everyone – ★★★★★ The Wee Review on Gulliver’s Travels.
