Children of Mine[author-post-rating] (2/5 Stars)

Jermin Productions excavate a harrowing tale long buried. We watch as the dark content they uncover threatens to collapse around them. Children of Mine recounts the tragic events of of October 1966 in Aberfan, Wales where quarry debris buried a small mountain school, claiming more than 100 lives.

This school show is caught in a perpetual tug-of-war between show and tell. It is regrettable that oration wins by a landslide. For a tale that has appeared in black and white print for years after its occurrence, the story clearly demands a performance rather than another description of events. It is in this manner that this young cast’s obvious potential becomes smothered under layers of suffocating narration.

The small selections of dialogue are few and far between. Of the bits that manage to surface many are caught in the trappings of melodrama or farce. The contrast is clearly for poignancy, but in practice it simply sets the tone swinging wildly between the heartfelt, the inappropriate and the downright surreal. The blending of pantomime and real world disaster fails to harmonise.

The cast perform as though following an itemised list of basic drama elements. The levels, tableau, synchronised movement and and voice all feel more at home in a theatre textbook than a performance of this nature. Following this thundering storm of techniques, the dust finally begins to settle. In this fleeting calm the cast are given space to breath. From the rubble, this fledgling ensemble begin to gather together some of the emotional resonance this challenging piece deserves.

Although it’s clear there are pitfalls aplenty, it’s not difficult to catch the unmistakable flashes of diamonds amidst the scree of this demanding production.

Children of Mine is playing at Venue 13 as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival until 24 of August. For more information and tickets, please see to the Edinburgh Fringe Website.