domino effectThe Dominio Effect is a fantasy fable, opening with the description of a fox who leaves destructive mishap after destructive mishap in the wake of his fiery tail. These falling dominos of the East London community that this affects are watched from above by our unborn protagonist Amina (played by Naeemah Islam). Having reluctantly made her entrance into the world, she is voluntarily mute in protest of a society filled with misfortune and bad luck, preferring the world of her imagination than that of Whitechapel.

The Domino Effect marks the return of Mulberry School and theatrical mover and shaker Fin Kennedy. The collaboration won them a Fringe First award for their play Unravelled in 2009. The collaborative spirit is definitely at the heart of the whole production: my ticket was torn by a teacher, another showed us to the auditorium excitedly telling us as many aspects of the process as the 27 steps would allow. The show itself is an ensemble, the cast moves together, they depend on each other for the action of the script, like cogs in a clock, from sharing passages of dialogue, to puppetry, set manipulation and dance. Each performer has many a string to their bow, and their contribution to set changes as Amina flits from one scene to the next is smooth and impressive.

All of this is visually vibrant, engaging and exciting thanks to the direction of Shona Davidson. Everything that happens is interpreted through movement. Although it is very well execute, in some areas the text is sacrificed in favour of the movement. Some words are lost and the story becomes the movement. Underneath, Kennedy’s narrative has characters balancing between an everyday community (Halal butchers, 24 hour shops and life on the breadline) and the poetic dynamic of a fable. The use of movement over-balances the narrative, beautifully portraying the elements of imagination and fantasy but slightly overshadowing the everyday.

Fin Kennedy is somewhat of a figurehead in helping to build and uphold the future of theatre. He has a knack for pulling together and showing off community, a cross-section of society from all ends and all corners. In a similar fashion, the Fringe brings together people from all walks of life, shapes, sizes and ages with the same interests and motivations. The Edinburgh Fringe represents future theatre and future comedy. Successful actors, comedians and theatre-makers come back because it’s where they began. And The Domino Effect is a very strong beginning for these talented performers.

The Domino Effect is at theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall until 14 August. For more information and ticket visit the EdFringe website.