Hype for not so Terrible Infants
2:36pm Tuesday 6th May 2008
EARLIER this year Greenwich Theatre's executive director James Haddrell phoned Leisure, rather excitedly, to talk about, Les Enfants Terribles, a hotly-tipped theatre company he was thrilled to have booked before they get properly huge.
He's not the only one singing the company's praises, Les Enfants have proved to be five star reviews magnets with the national press too.
Les Enfants Terribles work made such an impression on Dame Judy Dench she offered her services and now narrates a section of their current show.
Dame Judy Dench is another of their fans. Their work made such an impression, she offered her services and now narrates a section of their current show.
"We've got a long way to go before we can form a full-time company but the amount it has grown since last summer is shocking," said Les Enfants performer and Lewisham resident, Tomas Gisby.
"In Edinburgh we had been playing 50-seat venues and this year we are going to be doing 150-seat venues. There's even talk about doing a run in the West End."
The Terrible Infants is a mixed-media feast with live music, puppetry and storytelling. Think Roald Dahl and Tim Burton meet Struwwelpeter.
The Terrible Infants is the show which has driven the popularity surge. It sees the company going from more straight yet subversive drama to a mixed-media feast with live music, puppetry and storytelling based on the twisted morality tales of Oliver Lansley and Sam Wyer.
Think Roald Dahl and Tim Burton meet Struwwelpeter.
"It came from wanting to tell the stories in as many techniques as possible. It allows you to create a new world on stage."
"It came from wanting to tell the stories in as many techniques as possible," said Tomas of the production.
"Visually it makes it quite fascinating. It allows you to create a new world on stage. When you can suck the audience into that, people then get carried away. Adults can get a child-like fascination with it too."
All productions are financed entirely by Les Enfants, freeing the company up to meet it own aims of bringing in a "new generation of theatregoer".
"We're doing something people who like music or films would enjoy. You don't need to be really into theatre or into playwrights."
"We're doing something people who like music or films would enjoy," said Tomas. "You don't need to be really into theatre or into playwrights. It's really fun and somewhere the audience can escape for a bit."
The Terrible Infants, May 21 to May 22, Greenwich Theatre, Crooms Hill. Call 020 8858 7755.