Venue 29, Paradise in the Vault, Merchant Street
Yvonne Arnaud Youth Theatre may be young, but this is their fifth year on the Fringe so it’s reasonable to consider them veterans. Past productions have included versions of classic literature in the form of Arabian Nights (2011) and Metamorphoses (2010) and children’s favourites Five Children and It (2010) and Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes (2009). This year they are presenting an original work, Sophie Shadow.
At eleven, Sophie is the youngest member of a group of family and friends in hiding from an oppressive regime. With tensions running high and her grandfather becoming ill, Sophie turns to stories to soothe and distract.
The young cast tell a handful of tales with simple props, puppetry and movement, from imagined fairy tales to reminiscences from the character’s lives. The device may be an old one, but the writing here is fresh and promising.
This is not a professional production and it would be unfair to compare it with more polished, higher-end theatrical offerings, but the cast acquit themselves well and the writing suggests they could move on to great things as they develop their skills.
