Space Hippo: "Earth is dying. Nothing can be done. Our only hope is to launch a hippo into space". Or so we are told. The play evolves around environmental collapse, intergalactic warfare, and a hippo deity. Described as 'magical conjuring truth from absurdity' its use of over 200 hand-cut paper puppets, projected onto a screen to create a live shadow puppet show, is delivered with meticulous detail. However, the introduction felt very much like a children's entertainment address. The actors manipulate the puppets whilst voicing all the action which is commendable, but tedious. The show has gathered
strong reviews for its imaginative and visually striking presentation of its sci-fi epic, but the monotony, pace and made-up languages became very tiresome very quickly. There is a wonderful artistry and creativity to the piece that is clever and bold, but at times the storytelling was unclear, meandering from any real point. A slow start, with some misplaced humour. The show would benefit from some sort of unexpected emotional impact.
With some editing on a rework, and a clearer message, this may have been an endearing piece.
⭐️⭐️
Space Hippo runs until 24th August https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/space-hippo
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