The Cardinals

Synopsis

The Cardinals is the story of a show within a show. Three Cardinals are using a large puppet theatre to tell a history of the world, running seamlessly from Bible stories through The Crusades to contemporary Middle Eastern politics and, ultimately, the apocalypse. The Cardinals' show, though naive and unwittingly hilarious, is also wonderfully beautiful and seductive. Backstage however things are inevitably more frantic and fractious, as they are assisted by an over-worked young female Muslim Stage Manager whose script seems to vary from their own at certain crucial moments. The Cardinals is about faith and belief. It is playful, thought provoking and thoroughly entertaining.

Our Review:

Karen Bussell - 22 May 2012

The Cardinals – a potential Christian ‘Noises Off’ - is Stan’s Cafe’s latest offering currently on tour. But unfortunately it falls somewhat short of the mark.

Entertaining enough in concept and in part, over two hours is a long time to play on a restricted number of jokes.

Centre stage is a puppet theatre on which, using a series of tableaux and vignettes, a selection of Bible stories from Genesis to the crucifixion is re-enacted up to the interval and the subsequent tale of the Holy Land through the Crusades to Apocalypse is told. And all the while, the frantic going-ons behind the scenes make for an amusing contrast.

Add into the mix a Muslim stage manager and the scene is set for some riotous and thought-provoking theatre as sets, costumes, props and music work or not as the play unfolds.

There is no doubt that the deadpan actors are superb. Stan’s Cafe co-founder and associate director Craig Stephens is joined by deviser and performers [Ger...

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