Little Otik at Perth Theatre

May 30 2008 By Alison Anderson

FOR just two performances next Friday and Saturday, a compelling piece of drama comes to Perth Theatre.

Little Otik, staged by Vanishing Point and the National Theatre of Scotland, is touring to just three venues (Inverness, Perth and Cardiff) after its opening run at the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow.

This absorbing play combining dark humour with surreal horror is based on a 2001 film made by Czech Jan Svankmajer.

Little Otik is the story of people living in a small community where a childless thirtysomething couple are desperate to start a family.

Their lives dramatically change when the husband digs up a tree stump which resembles a baby.

As a joke he presents it to his wife, who refuses to believe the stump is anything but a baby.

She christens it Little Otik – and the big trouble begins!

The production features projected images of babies and toddlers which makes the whole piece rather disturbing, but there is a compunction to keep locked on to this story despite its unnerving and implausible features.

This stage version has been adapted by its director Matthew Lenton with talented actor Sandy Grierson, who plays the husband, Karl. In fact, all nine cast members are wholly convincing in their roles as the fragility of the human mind is exposed with devastating effect, not least Louise Ludgate as Karl’s wife.

Most unsettling is the neighbour’s schoolgirl daughter, Elspeth, who is smothered by her over-protected parents.

Under Elspeth’s facade of naivety is a cunning and dangerous young woman. Young actress Rebecca Smith makes a highly impressive professional debut by pitching her character with chilling accuracy.

Ann Scott-Jones, who began her career at the Citizens’ Theatre in 1962 and who is familiar to Perthshire theatre-goers, is well cast as the cabbage growing Mrs Hawthorne.

The involvement of the National Theatre of Scotland has helped Vanishing Point stage a technically impressive production, complemented by an evocative sound design by Christopher Shutt. Kai Fischer’s set successfully keeps the action moving apace, and Perth-based Becky Minto fulfils back-to-back NTS commitments by designing the costumes. (Her wonderful set and costume design for NTS and Wee Stories’ Emperor’s New Kilt is nominated for a CATS Award and can be seen at Dundee Rep tonight and tomorrow before the production tours down south).

A key member of the Little Otik creative team is Ewan Hunter whose puppetry and animation is central to this macabre and fantastical story for the 21st century.

Little Otik was reviewed on opening night at the Citizens’ Theatre in Glasgow. Tickets for its two-night run at Perth Theatre (June 6 and 7, 7.30pm) are available from the box offices at Perth Theatre and Perth Concert Hall, telephone 0845 612 6320 and online at www.horsecross. co.uk