Following Monday's excellent Out Of the Box family workshop, I returned to Newport Riverfront on Tuesday with 3 children in tow to view the actual show.
Out of The Box follows Edward (Jem Treays) who works in a storage warehouse, however his love for organisation and order is turned on its head one day when something totally unexpected happens. Without giving too much away there are lots of surprises in store as well as a few puzzles to solve along the way.
The Run Ragged production team made great use of a simplistic studio set which doubled for a warehouse with several cardboard boxes and a basic collection of props including a phone, chair, lamp and marker pen.
Jem's Chaplinesque portrayal of Edward was comical and sympathetic making his character easily identifiable with younger and older members of the audience. Rosalind Haf Brooks was engaging and beautiful as the heroine of the piece who turns Edward's world upside down with Lindy Hop dance movements and cluttered craziness.
While my children were impressed by the comedy and the dancing, I was struck by Jem and Rosalind’s comic timing and impeccable miming abilities. This was embellished by the timeless set and impeccably researched retro costumes (Rosalind’s dress for instance was over 70 years old but still fabulous!).
Out of The Box is an impressive debut from Run Ragged Productions and deserves to be seen and enjoyed by as wide an audience as possible, if you get a chance to see it in the future, treat yourself and your family – you’ll love it!
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