Hannah Margerison
Imagination is a seminal part of so many of childhoods. A stick becomes a sword with which you can slay fierce dragons; a cardboard box is a mighty ship used to flee from pirates; and you can become just about anything you can think of. In Parlour Games, Oliver, Constance, Eddie and Theo are trapped inside on a stormy night and they spent their time the only way they know how – playing make believe.
Some aspects of Parlour Games are really quite delightful – most notably the wordless play sequences, inspired by silent movies. At the risk of sounding pretentious, ‘silky’ is probably the only way to describe their physicality. They’re a cast of full-grown adults and yet lifts appear effortless and there’s barely a sound when they land. They’re all either incredibly light or incredibly skilled. Probably the latter.
I admire this show for its simplicity, though this is also where its problems lie; it is perhaps too simple. It is, after all, an hour of four children playing make believe, with barely any props and set. But the key ingredient in make-believe is imagination, and imagination unlocks all kinds of opportunities for storytelling. Unfortunately, Parlour Games never really veers away from one main plot, and even then it is tame: evil count, knight in shining armour, damsel in distress, the usual, etc. A wider variety in the different tales they explore would better hold our attention, and allow Tooth + Nail to showcase their talent a bit more – talent which they all evidently have, in abundance.
However, where a simple storyline doesn’t work as well, simplicity does work with the technical aspects of the show. I adore the use of torches as the main source of lighting, the use of which creates playful, dancing shadows on the walls and ceiling of the theatre. This compliments the domestic feel of Parlour Games – after all, it’s set in a crumbling manor house. Shadows and darkness work better here than fancy theatre lighting to evoke a chilling air.
Parlour Games has a lovely air of irony. Here we have 4 adults playing children, playing a game in which they play adults. And at the best of times, actors spend a lot of time in the rehearsal period just playing. It reminds us of how important this, and this quality is what keeps the show from falling flat.
Parlour Games is playing at Zoo (Venue 124) until August 31st. For more information and tickets, visit the Fringe website.