Fringe Review: Bark Bark

Bark Bark is a technically difficult production which serves up a wonderful story, says Jeremy Welch.

★★★

This is technically an ambitious production.

Bark Bark tells the tale of two house sitters rekindling their love affair through the eyes of a bird killing dog called ‘It’. Although the dog is a bird killer ‘It’ charms the audience who root for him throughout the tale. The owner of the house is a Crufts winner and a vet. ‘It’ is destined for an unusual end.

The show makes use of diorama sets and puppets including, very effectively, finger puppets thereby enabling the audience to see the action from It’s point of view.

The narrative takes place within the various diorama sets and is superimposed on an overhead screen.

The puppeteers move seamlessly from one miniature diorama set to the next and with skilful manipulation of the camera the scenes change from inside the house to a rather dramatic scene of It running through a forest. It’s clever bold and difficult to do.

Although the action takes place on the overhead screen it is wonderful for the audience to watch the puppeteers in action on the stage.

Watching the puppeteers at work it’s almost as if you are privy to the working of a very complicated, precise and difficult to operate piece of machinery.

This, to me, adds greatly to the show. The narrative is held together by an accomplished keyboard and percussionist musician that compliments the story perfectly.

As I said, it is a technically difficult production but serves up a wonderful story combined with the opportunity to watch puppeteer masters at work.

Well worth going to see this show.

Summerhall – Anatomy Lecture Theatre
Aug 13-18, 20-26.

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