This is a welcome return to the Fringe for The Terrible Infants, a quintet of entertainingly grotesque tales that will delight adult and children alike. Each is delivered with the fantastic attention to detail and professionalism we’ve come to expect from Les Enfants Terribles Theatre Company.
Everyone will have their own favourite tale, but highlights include the dark but fun story of Tumb, the boy who eats his mum; the sweetly moving tale of Thingummyboy, who is so shy that nobody knows he exists; and the brilliantly bizarre cautionary tale of Terrible Tilly, the girl who talks too much, which is deliciously narrated by Dame Judi Dench.
The show is a blend of excellent storytelling, puppetry, live music and stunningly realised choreography. The props and puppets are superb and have a shabby beauty that wouldn’t be out of place in a Hollywood movie. The visuals, eccentric twists and general aesthetic of the Terrible Infants is like watching something directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet from a story by Roald Dahl.
The performances are outstanding, a rare combination of flawless timing, choreography and genuine enthusiasm. Every member of the cast delivers perfectly the imaginative, exuberant prose of writer / producer / actor Olive Lansley’s short stories.
The Terrible Infants could use a more impactful finale – something to tie the five tales together and make them seem less episodic perhaps – but this is but a minor gripe and they do move adeptly between each tale through effective use of music, lighting and props.
It’s a near perfect show, delightful, surprising, and cutely nightmarish, with all the elements of the play combining to bring these twisted children’s tales to life.
5/5 
Lee McRonald
Loading ...