Assembly, George Square Gardens, 12.50 daily (not Monday) The Stage: Edinburgh Review The Sagas of Noggin the Nog August 8th 2014 Grizzled, worried and utterly charming, Noggin the Nog’s tea-loving viking hoard – of four – is well-cast in this suitably delightful adaptation of Oliver Postgate’s original 1959 children’s TV cartoon. Here, in a pair of tales, Noggin journeys to the land of the midnight sun when his father dies – to find a wife before uncle Nogbad the Bad can usurp the throne. Then, to the land of hot water where the ice dragon is frightening the little people. Director John Wright and costume designer Meg Kennedy bring just the right amount of dishevelled roughness to their production values, allowing the company to liberate their audience’s imaginations when they bring out puppets – both small and big – to carry the tales on. In their principal roles, Clive Holland is a hilarious Queen Grunhilde the Lazy One, while fresh-faced Max Mackintosh’s Noggin is bright and friendly, beside providing much of the live music. Anthony Gleave oozes parsimony as Nogbad the Bad, with a cloak which lifts back to reveal a murder of crows. And Nicholas Collett gives talking green bird Graculus a gracious charm. Mixing techniques and moving the action between performers and puppets, this is a hugely skilful yet deceptively simple production, which engages with all ages. By: Thom Dibdin
Posted on: Sat, 09 Aug 2014 22:57:02 +0000