The Girl With The Iron Claws

In the depths of the forest anything can happen. Dreams can spark quests, trolls can fall in love, children can be lost… and found. Harking back to classic storytelling of dark fairytales and the ever-present specialness of the youngest child, this was a treat for children and adults alike, suspending disbelief and going to a place of real peril and magic. Writer and director Hannah Mulder based this on the story of ‘Valemon, The White Bear King’. Her version sees The Girl With The Iron Claws as a heroine battling against a number of fates aligned and making her own destiny, combining delightful and terrifying puppetry with an excellent cast. Clare Fraenkel was fearlessly brilliant as the Girl, Chris MacDonald beautiful in wretched turmoil as the ‘Beast-ly’ Valemon, Laura Cairns fabulous as an assortment of beastly maids, crones and creatures, and Arran Glass our touchstone and and guide throughout – a necessity when some of the darker turns had smaller audience members reaching for their mothers. An great exploration into storytime excellently staged and presented.

The Warren, 24 May 2012

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