Dreamer (FringeTIX)
dreampuppets @ The Puppet Palace
3:00pm, Sat 1 Mar 2008
Wandering into the Puppet Palace on a sticky Saturday afternoon, I was surprised to see that the layout had completely changed since I was last in there. Apparently, they shuffle seating around on a per-show basis… seems a little too much like hard work to me, but hey. Of course, the seating layout for Dreamer – coupled with the fact that the tallest people in the audience sat in the front couple of rows – made clear, unobstructed viewing difficult for the sizeable crowd.
Let’s cut to the chase: Dreamer is a one-trick pony – it relies heavily on a UV backlight to make the puppets and props fluoresce; the effect, within the inky black confines of the stage, is gorgeous. (And yes, I am aware that “fluoresce” is quite possibly not the most technically correct term… but it’s the most emotively correct term, so there ;)
But, when a screen is dropped over the front of the stage with tiny little fluorescent dots on it, puppets moving behind, it creates an impressive illusion of depth – the objects look half-a-universe away. That, mixed with the whimsical and colourful puppets, certainly produces a dream-like effect. The plot is shallow, but that’s not what it’s about; it’s an experience, rather than a story.
The titular main character, a cute little fella, is just one of the quirky puppets on offer: A walking bed. A rowboat. A bottle. Slinkies. A duck that seems intent on shoving its arse in your face. And, most of the time, the puppetry is really good – though there’s a few sloppy bits at the edges, where you can see the exits before the puppet has left your eyeline.
But…
After the applause from the audience starts at the end of the show, we’re treated to the biggest reveal of all: Dreamer is a one-woman show. That alone turns its rating from a “pretty, but dull” into a “pretty, and massive respect.” Bloody impressive for one person.