The Incredible Book Eating Boy

Pleasance Courtyard
Until 29 August 2011

Bootworks Theatre’s charming adaptation of Oliver Jeffers’ book for children is an absolute delight.

The hardworking and impossibly slick cast tell the story of Henry, a boy whose appetite for books knows no bounds. Henry takes to munching his way through scores of books with peculiar consequences for both his mind and digestive system.

This five-minute piece is conceived for an audience of one adult and one child and is performed in a specially created black box with windows in the walls that open and shut, allowing us to see snippets of Henry’s story. The company draws on the language of film as they change scene scale and viewpoint with a series of theatrical cross fades and cuts that keep the story moving.

The added bonus of seeing this show is that, whilst waiting for your turn in the box, you can see the company in action as they skilfully attend to the mechanics of the piece. They diligently change costume, lighting and projection whilst wielding the many masks and puppets used to tell the story.

All in all, a beautiful piece and an intriguing insight into all the normally unseen work that goes on behind the scenes.

– Chris Hill