REVIEW: Shō and the Demons of the Deep – Platform, Easterhouse
When she was six years old playwright Zoë Bullock was given Annouchka Gravel Galouchko’s picture book Shō and the Demons of the Deep (originally Shō et les Dragons D’Eau) by her Japanese grandmother. The tale of the inhabitants of a Japanese village who, when troubles arise, simply throw them into the sea. But the sea becomes full to overflowing with demons and the villagers end up with even greater troubles to deal with.
Bullock has used the story as the basis for this family-friendly, visually exciting play, but expanded it and added original flourishes: the sea in the book is a river in the play, and a jump in time sixty years into the future allows the inclusion of Hana, the granddaughter of Shō from the original tale as the central driving force.
The city of today is one where its inhabitants have “forgotten how to dream” whose nightmares are collected every morning in black bin bags to be gathered up by the city council and deposited in the now brown rushing river, and like the original tale, the river is at breaking point.
Claire Halleran’s design is a visual treat. It is created from everyday household objects: strips from plastic bags become writhing demons, Hana, when not being played by an actor, is a soy sauce bottle. Other characters are colanders, cheese graters, wrenches, a vinegar bottle. Kate Bonney’s lighting is warm and inviting, enhancing the production beautifully.
There is a feeling that, as well as being taken on an adventure watching a production with a modern energy and sensibility, we are being enveloped in a great big hug, in the best oral tradition of the good old-fashioned, fire-side folktale.
The trio of actors Itxaso Moreno, Christina Strachan and Rebecca Wilkie are thoroughly entertaining: bright, lively and engaging, expertly weaving the tale and keeping the interest throughout.
While there are easy parallels to be drawn to current environmental issues, it is far from a tub-thumping polemic, it is fundamentally a human story about a community and how they deal with their greatest fears and anxieties. The importance of bravery and the feeling of ‘home’. If there is any commentary being hinted at it is the historical treatment of mental health issues. How fear consumes us the older it is allowed to grow.
As they say at the start “every story is a dream” and this is a lovely little dream of a story.
This production continues at Platform Glasgow then tours to: Aberdeen, Shetland, Mull, Dunoon, Dunkeld, Melrose, Wick, Dumfries, Edinburgh, Inverness and St Andrews.
Images: Mihaela Bodlovic
