Feral

See it if you love animation or puppetry or innovated performance.

Don't see it if you are looking for a traditional performance and have very little imagination.

Also Brilliant work! Engaging and beautifully done!! Loved it!!

See it if You enjoy theatre that takes risks and isn't your run-of-the-mill actors-on-the-stage type of show.

Don't see it if You don't like shows that are even remotely puppet-like.

Also Brilliantly done! So different and thoughtful and thought-provoking at once. A real commentary on today's society and the breakdown of community told with unreal/imaginative means. It will draw you in (pun intended: see the start of the show) and keep you riveted on the tiniest of details. I don't know how to explain how very clever this is except to say that it is an ingenious blend of puppetry, story, video, drawing, puppeteer choreography, original music, sound effects, and live editing/direction. See this show!... Read more Read less

See it if You like puppets. If you want to see a show that could and does happen. You like quick theater. If you like interesting staging....

Don't see it if You don’t like puppets. You want a lot of dialogue. Want to be moved by the end...,

See it if you enjoy original creative innovative puppetry and animation and other amazing things.

Don't see it if 50 minutes is too short for a production.

See it if you enjoy technically inventive theatre with a heavy focus on visual narrative constructs.

Don't see it if you dislike purely visual storytelling, or alternative means of performance.

Also This piece is absolutely delightful from start to finish. The sound design is delicious, the puppet and set design is charming as hell. This is joy encapsulated in a tight 55 minute show.... Read more Read less

See it if You like Basil Twist, puppetry, wordless storytelling through intriguing animation.

Don't see it if You want verbal narrative or traditional theatrical fare.

See it if you enjoy non-traditional performance focusing on illustration, projection, puppetry, film, and foley. It's unusual and cute.

Don't see it if you want a longer performance, live actors, dialogue. The story itself leaves a bit to be desired.

See it if you're a fan of Manual Cinema, or puppetry, or want to see five people create an "animated" movie, sound effects & all, live in front of you

Don't see it if you can't be bothered with a show that's under an hour long; are looking for a traditional show with live actors, dialogue, strong plot

Also This show was incredibly inventive. They allow the audience to check out the set up close afterwards, and it's incredible how much detail there is in there. The show is performed with b&w, ink drawn puppets and set pieces on a very small stage, and there's a video screen above it that shows you a closeup of what they're doing. If you've seen a Manual Cinema show, it's similar to that, though without the shadow puppetry. Visually, it was a bit like watching a stop-motion animated movie, except created live in front of you. The first half or so was absolutely charming, and I found I couldn't stop smiling while I was watching it. Things eventually turn a bit darker, and to be honest, my mind started to wander a bit at that point... That said, even though this is a UK company/show, the "serious" points they were making definitely seemed resonant to things happening in NY.... Read more Read less

See it if Like Innovative technology and effective original staging. Fascinating to watch how done.

Don't see it if Expect a typical puppet show or traditional theater.

See it if You' enjoy a handmade world that tells a simply story about a small town. The coordination of live video, sound, and movement is great!

Don't see it if You need plot or actual lines. Any dialog is mainly background noise for the visuals. You want to follow actuals and not simple puppets.

Also The happy world they created at the beginning was so cute, I wish that section had lasted longer! I was particularly impressed with the sound guy. He did a lot of nice layering with both some prerecorded tracks and many live sound effects.... Read more Read less

See it if You like animation and fables

Don't see it if You rely heavily on the spoken word

See it if You want to see something completely different. Puppet figures animated in full view of the audience with sound design and video projection.

Don't see it if Not traditional puppets. Not traditional anything. It's like being backstage but you are in the audience.

Also What starts as an experiment in whimsy evolves into a sad tale of urban dissolution-hence the title "feral". The journey however is fascinating. A very talented team of 5 create the world of a seaside resort and it's inhabitants, through the use of drawing, primitive figures, cut-out buildings ,very effective camera work and on-the-fly siound design. It is all projected on a screen, but just below the screen we watch the "puppeteers" move the characters, while cameras shoot the scene and the sound designer caws like a bird, chirps like a squirrel or just plays haunting ear worm of an arcade tune. There is no dialogue. It is all remarkably clever. Just be prepared when the story takes a turn.... Read more Read less

See it if You enjoy innovative theater without dialogue. Clever use of space and time.

Don't see it if You enjoy regular theater only. This is drawing and “puppet” based.

See it if Witness live-action 3D paper doll cutouts manipulated w/ soundscape in a puppetry projection lab. Craft is key in this digital radiotheatre.

Don't see it if Low-impactfully tame and not feral as Joe/Dawn visit park, village butcher, casino, seaside carnival,photobooth & supercade.(5' X 7' screen)

Also Signage:"The End is Nigh/Unrest in Town Grows." Visit minute detailed set after. "You can go with your sister" is the single line of dialogue uttered.... Read more Read less

See it if You are looking for a quick shot of entertainment it’s less than an hour. Bring your imagination with you.

Don't see it if You’re looking for some serious theatre.

See it if Open to experiencing new avenues in theater. Not like another performance I have seen!

Don't see it if Expect narrative theater, don’t want to involve yourself & you own imagination.

See it if You like multimedia theatre with an incredulous plot.

Don't see it if You prefer traditional, proscenium theatre.

See it if From a flat storyboard, a miniature cardboard set diorama emerges complete with clothes pin size puppets manipulated by performers.

Don't see it if Then mini cameras film in minute detail a puppet show with technical effects and sound, which is projected above the stage.

Also You have to be OK with a puppet show that lasts less than an hour and has an anemic plot.... Read more Read less

See it if You enjoy an imaginative performance with drawings and puppet like figures being manipulated by five artists which tells a cryptic tale

Don't see it if You want a clearly acted story with dialogue that runs more than 50 minutes

See it if you’ll watch a short movie being filmed live, w/ multiple cameras, in 1 take, on a miniature, detailed set model. It’s a multitasking feat.

Don't see it if The movie/story itself had zero impact.

Also Production: 70
A similar show was Stereoptik’s Dark Circus at HERE a few years ago. Feral isn’t as elaborate or polished but it’s still a high-wire (if small scale) combination of live foley, puppetry, and projection/camera.

Story: 40
Eye-rolling story. It’s like Reefer Madness but with casinos instead of pot.

Concentration & coordination required of the cast: 90
If the show sounds interesting to you, don’t let lukewarm reviews like mine stop you from seeing it. It’s an unusual labor of love that pulls together a lot of tools and it factors in the immediacy of backstage effort to produce an onstage drama.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see something inventive and ambitious. you don't like to think about the story you are seeing a+ for effort -- but ...

Don't see it if Story really bugged me. Latent reactionary diatribe on dangers of the masses and precariousness of social order. In the end, way too busy.

See it if Live shooting of 3 actors setting up cardboards with sketches on; would have recommended to kids if it wasn’t trying to sell political msgs

Don't see it if Bad storytelling is bad storytelling, no matter what form it uses; “actors” so busy with moving props that the plot is never fully developed

Also The theatre company is based in Edinburgh. If this is a Fringe show, I would have escaped after the first 10min (or less), after too many footages wasted on the “environment”: squirrel, dog, butchers shop, bar, restaurant... This form of art could have fitted kids’ theatre if it hadn’t involved political strikes or sudden death of sister (how? Murdered?)... Read more Read less

See it if a show dedicated to its craft with engaging storytelling. a behind-the-scenes view with all live puppetry/sound/music/video

Don't see it if you're expecting a grand stage broadway show or you're a stickler for classical theatre

See it if you’re interested in the unusual, in non-traditional puppetry and in innovative, thought-provoking theater.

Don't see it if It’s a short piece, around an hour. If that doesn’t sound like a substantial enough night out at the theater to you, you might want to pass.

Also Although, if you do pass, you will be missing a truly unique, theatrical experience! The story told was relevant and relatable, but, sadly, this tale does not have a happy ending. So, be prepared when things take a take a dark turn. On a more upbeat note, producing an “animated" movie live in front of the audience was an incredible, multi-tasking feat on the part of the humans involved and it was fascinating to watch them work. There was a technical glitch right at the start the night I was there that could have torpedoed the evening, but due to some quick thinking, they recovered. It was a good reminder of what can happen in live theater, yet, amazingly, rarely does. After the show, I enjoyed the opportunity to examine the set closely, which audience members were invited and encouraged to do, and to speak with the creators/performers to find out more about the inspiration for the piece and its production history.... Read more Read less