The Bookbinder

‘They say you can get lost in a good book, but its worse getting lost in a bad one…’

So begins Trick of the Light Theatre’s performance of The Bookbinder, a whimsical, inspiring, and at times frightening production. Created on a small scale for intimate audiences, the show features puppetry, object theatre, and a minimalist lighting design created out of living room lamps. An old gramophone provides the soundtrack, with music composed and performed by Tane Upjohn Beatson.

Hosted at the Better Read Than Dead bookshop on 13th September as part of the 2014 Sydney Fringe, this innovative New Zealand production played to an elbow-packed audience of around 30 people. Having come down from Newcastle specifically for this show, I wasn’t disappointed.

Reminiscent of The Suitcase Royale’s original piece Felix Listens to the World, The Bookbinder draws on elements of junkyard theatre and storytelling. A solo performance involving sound technician and director Hannah Smith, Ralph McCubbin Howell performed as well as wrote the production.

The story follows that of a young apprentice bookbinder, and an old tome he’s required to restore. But being young makes it hard to stay focused, and soon he is leafing through the pages instead of restoring them. What follows is an adventure larger than life. Or small as the print on a page – depending how you look at it.

The theatre and puppetry techniques used in this production are magic! From simple manipulations of light and shadow, whole worlds unfold. Letter openers and pens become visitors to the store, while the snapping of a pencil turns into the sickening crunch of broken bones. Much of the set literally pops out of a large book, with cut out characters brought to life through puppetry and storytelling. Shadow puppet scenes emerge from old lampshades, and a jug of water becomes the raging ocean.

With moments of laughter interspersed through an otherwise dark story, Howell’s handling of his material is superb. As an audience member, I was engrossed through the narrative arc as well as the delivery – it’s clear this production has been honed to a knife edge.

As a puppeteer and actor, my criticism comes from muddy transitions between some of the characters. While the characterisations themselves were superb, at times I felt the changes between them were a bit disjointed. I also felt the actor could have trusted his material more – some parts felt rushed, and that the audience wasn’t allowed to linger over them. Also, a word of warning for parents – while the show was advertised as being appropriate for children, I wouldn’t include anyone under eight. The material proved too scary for two small kids, however the rest of the audience appeared completely engaged.

All up I loved this show, and can’t recommend it highly enough. If you’re in Melbourne for their next season, a trip to the Lithuanian Club is well worth the adventure. Hats off to Trick of the Light Theatre, I look forward to their next production!