23/08/17

Assembly Rooms, George Street

This delightful tale from Hindu mythology tells the story of Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati, who, after causing friction between his parents, is decapitated by his father and then has his head replaced with that of an elephant. Understandably miffed at this rough treatment, he sets off into the forest in search of his real head, accompanied by a spider called Makdee and a scheming huntsman called Moorkh, but the pair are secretly planning to hold the boy-God to ransom…

This is essentially a monologue, brilliantly told by Yuki Ellias, who acts out all the roles, snapping effortlessly from one character to the next, portraying them as much by her physicality as with her voice. It’s an assured performance and I love the simplicity of the staging, which uses nothing more than a loose grey and red robe to identify the different roles. Plaudits should also go to the creator of the wonderful score and to the lighting designer, who help transform an unprepossessing portacabin on George Street into a magical location.

This is delightful stuff and all concerned should take a well-earned bow. There’s only a few days left to catch this before the festival ends, so don’t miss the opportunity.

4.2 stars

Philip Caveney