In a book-lined office, under the soft glow of lamp light, an ageing bookbinder told the story of a young boy whose simple act of carelessness became the catalyst for an incredible journey filled with action, adventure and just a hint of magic.
Imaginative and thought-provoking, The Bookbinder – created by Te Whanganui-A-Tara/Wellington-based company Trick of the Light – was a dark fairytale brought to life through an fusion of shadow play, paper art and puppetry. The show featured an intelligent script that expertly wove together elements of humour, suspense, mystery and danger to create an exciting and engaging story that had audience members young and old on the edge of their seats.
Like any good fairy tale, The Bookbinder was full of deeper meanings and hidden morals that reminded viewers to slow down, take pride in one’s work and most importantly, never give up in the face of adversity. A powerful line about the dangers of getting lost in a book served as an important reminder of the immense power words and stories have in our lives.
Writer and Trick of the Light co-founder Ralph McCubbin Howell delivered a powerful performance as the unnamed storyteller, effortlessly switching between each character’s own unique mannerisms and accents with a practised ease that brought the human, puppet and paper-crafted characters to vivid life. His evocative storytelling and expressive features perfectly captured the excitement and emotion of the story, ensuring that audiences never lost interest in the events unfolding before them.
The paper-crafted scenery and characters rose like pop ups from a large, time-worn book beautifully handcrafted by Trick of the Light co-founder Hannah Smith. Each page was painstakingly created with immense attention to detail, allowing the audience to fully immerse themselves in the magical world of The Bookbinder. A work of art in its own right, the book seemed to take on the magical properties of the story it held, capturing the attention of everyone in attendance.
The Bookbinder unfolded against a simple, yet powerful score that perfectly complemented Howell’s storytelling to capture the emotional intensity of each scene. Equally impressive was the way Howell manipulated the two lamps on stage to alter the lighting and mood of each scene, using them to cast shadows across the paper world or give life to large, shadowy creatures created by his own hands.
Read: Festival review: DreamBIG Children’s Festival BIG Family Weekend, Adelaide Festival Centre
After the show, Howell invited the audience to remain behind for a casual Q+A session which allowed those in attendance to get a closer look at the shows intricate paper props and learn more about the show’s creation (as well as a few closely guarded production tricks) and it was well worth staying back for.
Flawlessly delivered, The Bookbinder was worthy of its many accolades. Let’s hope it returns to Adelaide from Aotearoa/New Zealand soon.
The Bookbinder
Presented by Trick of the Light Theatre
Writer, Performer and Production Designer: Ralph McCubbin Howell
Director, Pop-up Book Creator and Production Designer: Hannah Smith
Composer and Sound Design: Tane Upjohn-Beatson
The Bookerbinder was performed on 17 May 2025 as part of DreamBIG Children’s Festival.
