The White, in Antler Theatre’s collaborative production, is a vast, symbolic tundra that takes months and hundreds of thousands of steps to traverse. It’s populated by threats ranging from monsters to mad kings to treacherous friends. And all of this is cleverly conjured against a simple black set at Underbelly’s Big Belly by the ingenious physicality and vocal work of four actors and a handheld spotlight.
A young girl named Crab wants to leave her home, and the protection of the tree that roots her village, to discover the world beyond where the White stops. Over the many moons of her journey, what she finds within the White is the richness of the bonds of friendship and the difficulty of balancing adventure and structure.
Having created a rich, wide canvas on which to present their story, the young and multi-talented members of Antler are to be commended for not spoon-feeding their audience. But while there is much enjoyable space for the viewer’s imagination to fill in the gaps in the visuals and the characterization, perhaps the world of the White and its inhabitants is more meaningful and richly drawn for the artists who have spent their time developing it than it is for their audience.
Having received good notices on their Edinburgh debut in 2012, it’s not clear that Antler have managed to kick on this year. But its members present a charming and engaging young ensemble, and it is to be hoped that they will return with a more fully-formed production in the future.
Where The White Stops
Big Belly, at Underbelly, Cowgate
10-25 August, 2:40pm
Submitted by Ricky Brown
