The Mermaid of Zennor
The Rosemary Branch
28th June 2013

★★★★☆

With their magical combination of puppetry and live theatre, the wittily named company Moon on a Stick have created something special. Spinning out of the old south-west folk tale of the same name, this ever-so-slightly metatexual piece honours and expands upon the original. It almost supplies a sequel while recasting it much more as a long-form folk song that respects what went before but repurposes and solidifies it.

The play begins with a couple, Iris (Shelly Atton) and Thomas (Paul Sheridan), finding a baby on the beach with translucent skin and hair that never dries. No, sadly, this isn't a retelling of the origin of the superhero Aquaman, rather just an epilogue to the tale Iris tells the suddenly teenage daughter Imogen (Alice Sillett). The tale is one of tragedy, with Henry (Benedict Hastings) wooed by the Mermaid (Chloe Ward) to follow her into the deep.

Obviously, that's just the tip of the rock pool, as we're taken on a journey that examines the lies adults tell to children, and why they do so. It's a tale of love and loss (aren't they all?) but also of hope. With what was a fairly staid and clear-cut tale, Moon on a Stick have produced a very British fairy tale. It successfully brings everything our imaginations can throw at us to life in a crystal-clear and heady production.

The titular character is the ever-present Chloe Ward. Fast becoming a favourite of ours, she has moved from her comedy roots of Gap Year and Open House to present an incredibly chilling Mermaid. Hypnotic, electric and with a fantastic singing voice, she's a captivating character at odds with her previous personas. Equally, Hastings was a charming frontman, with Atton and Sheridan the resolute parents, carrying deep scarring off with aplomb. It's a shame there wasn't more to see from the final cast member during the 'human' scenes. Puppeteer and ensemble member Emiliano Calcagno, in his brief time in the spotlight, highlighted a talent for physical theatre that flourished in his puppeteering.

And from just a couple of chests, a hoop and some rope, life was truly sprung in the show's puppetry. Some marvellously crafted characters by Atton and Sillet took the stage here. This began with the beautifully fierce and skilfully segmented Mermaid herself, almost a nod to the late, great Ray Harryhausen's Medusa.

Then there's more - Henry and Imogen with a Tim Burton or Henry Selick look about them. It culminates in a wonderful jellyfish that becomes the terrifying Kraken. It's David Attenborough's Blue Planet live - terrifying, clever and superb. The puppetry here is second to none, with the cast behind them melting away into the background as you're transfixed on the sleek, assured and enlivened performance of the models.

Director Madelaine Ryan has done a sterling job of making the whole thing move exceedingly smoothly. The warmth from the family home is offset by the chill that you feel plunging into the depths. It's seamless, with the lazy sailors sitting on the dock of the bay watching proceedings in the same way that mother and daughter do.

If anything is at fault, it's really some Cornish accents that slip sometimes into Canadian, other times Cumbrian. And a couple of literal slips around the staging can't honestly be held against them, as the work on their creations didn't falter.

In fact, the love and dedication to their puppets is only second to their immaculate reinterpretation of the folk tale. Sillett's other work in Treefolk Theatre - another company with an eye on puppetry and legends - clearly shines here. And with this company, the fringe theatre world is richer.

The Mermaid of Zennor ran from 26th to 28th June 2013 at the Rosemary Branch.

Nearest tube station: Haggerston (Overground)