THEATRE

This was one of those really pleasant surprises. A group of about 20 very young people have put on a really impressive show here.

The story is a classic Russian tale of an artist who is persuaded- after buying a portrait of a moneylender – that financial success is all, and becomes a society painter, until he sees the work of an old friend who has remained true to his art, and he then begins an orgy of artistic destruction. This is just the core story – there are a number of subsidiary ones, and here the story has been “straightened out” to make it more dramatically accessible without missing anything out.

There is a lot of humour here and the cast are very versatile and winning. They use many musical instruments – brass, xylophone and much else – and have some songs of their very own. The set is brilliant, with its use of tiers of windows, and when the monstrous usurer appears on stage – this must be the biggest puppet on the Fringe! –swathed in demonic smoke.

This is a most enjoyable and entertaining hour, and it is to be hoped that some of the cast at least go on to develop their evident skills.