The Trench - 13th August 2012

The Terrible Infants have been DARKCHAT favourites since we were mesmerised by "The Terrible Infants". They followed this up with the darker " Ernest and the Pale Moon" and the event entertainment
"The Vaudevillains".

This year we are back in  more familiar territory, a well-acted piece with puppet inter-action. Bert is conscripted to fight in the First World War, digging undeground to lay mines under German mines. Naturally all does not go well and the trench collapses but he is unexpectedly offered salvation from a creature which seemed to have escaped from Sesame Street.

I was particularly impressed by the language, especially as it was mainly spoken in rhyming couplets adding weight and importance. This was balanced by Alexandder Wolfe playing and singing his own music, a perfect accompaniment to the drama we were witnessing. The only minor criticism I would make was that Bert's background story was emotionally manipulative but it certainly packed a punch to me.

Every festival there is one show which divides DARKCHAT reviewers and this show was out 2012 talking point. My current wife felt it was wrong to set a Tolkien type tale amongst the true-life horror of the First World War and the modern style of singer/ songwriter did not fit that period.

She is clearly wrong but the only way you can make up your mind is to see "The Trench".