His mother? A beautiful countess beloved by the village. His father? An ‘independent, rebellious’ turnip. Half turnip… half man… it’s #Turnipman! Laima Helena Vanaga’s kooky solo show is reminiscent of a #folktale told around a campfire🔥 Using classic #storytelling & #puppetry elements, Laima illuminates the tale of Count Gilbert, the Turnipman, and his unfortunate demise... #EpicTale 📣

From the very beginning, Vanaga hooks us with what looks to be a gripping ghost story👻 Following the untimely death of his mother, Countess Sylvia, a conceited Gilbert, who can’t stand when people cough, cry, or are poor, is thrust into his duties as a Count🧐 When he spots an ‘otherworldly’ apparition from across the way from his castle🏰, he decides he must marry her...

The strange story gets stranger🥴 as we follow Gilbert’s eclectic journey as head of school-turned-orchestra leader-turned-founder of the village’s very first craft beer & cider festival...

While the story becomes unmanageable very quickly, with extra narratives threatening Vanaga’s strong start, the riveting puppetry elements breathe life into the tale’s many twists & turns. We get to see the Turnipman in the flesh: a scarecrow-like, near-life-sized doll is frequently picked up & manoeuvred by Vanaga to visually represent his grand journey 🏇💨

While the puppetry is both magical & very comical😄, we have a hunch that Vanaga might not yet be 100% on her lines. There are many stops, re-starts & do-overs that threaten to upend an otherwise pacey, riveting thriller…

"Legend of the Turnipman" has all the potential for a spooky campfire tale. All around, the puppetry elements could be teased out even more to keep each chapter just as lively as the one before throughout this epic, albeit unwieldy, narrative. Still, Gilbert's story is nonetheless a wonderfully eccentric & delightfully creative tale... 2/5⭐

#oldredliontheatre #grimfest #legend #folklore #latvia #londontheatre #puppet #physicaltheatre