Reviews

Devil in the Detail

Editorial Staff

MetaMorpho are an unusual theatre company in that they blend a range of theatrical techniques that includes masks, puppets and Balkan music to create a form of theatre that is part farce, part pantomime – and the overall effect is very entertaining.

The setting for this strong narrative is a shabby house which is let by a fraudulent live-in landlady who is renting the same room twice. One lodger is a dim-witted night watchman and the other is a swindling accountant, and they’re both attempting to cover the trail of their own duplicity. Add to this already potent mix of deceit a drugs gang on a revenge mission and you have the manic, at moments riotous, piece of drama that is Devil in the Detail.

It is not only the hectic plot that makes this show so dynamic: surprisingly, it is the inanimate masks that add to the vibrancy of this play. Despite their fixed appearance, these vivid masks are so well crafted that you are able to sympathise with the characters. This is particularly commendable as the characters do not speak throughout the play, and yet you are able to experience their moments of sorrow and joy.

Whether you enjoy the farcical comedy or admire the wonderfully expressive masks, this is a show that the whole family will enjoy.

– Charlotte Pegram