Otherstory, a puppetry collective from Bristol bring their table top paper theatre show Escape was on Everyone’s Mind – The Tale of Jack Sheppard to the Hubnub Centre, Whittox Lane, Frome, (BA11 3BY) on Saturday 7th May – www.hubnubcentre.com
It tells the story of the notorious 18th Century jailbreaker and people’s hero Jack Sheppard. 18th Century London, its rebellious mobs, rapacious merchants and well-fed judges, are brought to vivid life on a table.
The use of simple cut-out puppets and zigzagging set lead the audience through unexpected turns among the characters, institutions, and dodgy deals of a time of upheaval; a time with parallels to our own. Jumps in scale, the textured use of sound and song add drama and depth to the story.
A playful, political, visually stunning tale of daring and resistance.
Trevor Houghton from Otherstory commented, “We were inspired by the engravings of William Hogarth. We have taken on his picture-storytelling style: the vibrant detail, the satire, the use of one character’s story to map and critique a society on many levels; and we have attempted to translate this into puppetry.
“Jack’s story travelled worldwide – evolving over time. A prime reason for taking this show on tour is to bring the story to a new generation.”
The show will be followed by a post-show discussion with contributions from Bristol Radical History Group.
The performance lasts 70 mins, suitable for adults and older children (10+). Doors open 7.15 pm. £8 (£5 concessions) to book: To view trailer and buy tickets: otherstory.org
Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
For further information contact: Trevor Houghton – Otherstory – 07501 614256 – otherstorypuppetry@ymail.com
