Stories for Boys at Drayton Arms Theatre, London Review
Stories for Boys. Photo: Erika Sviderskyte
Written by Becky K for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review. All views are our own
Content Warning: Contains themes of death, suicide, existentialism
A wacky comedy about death, whilst also being a love story between a donkey and a fish, Kieron Barry’s ‘Stories for Boys’ is one of the most unique theatre shows you could see in London. As hilariously absurd as it is profound, director Hope Wishart displays a true Brechtian-style masterclass exploring the incomprehensible meaning behind life and death, and what it means to love.
The narrative centres around donkey Asso (Florence Dobson) on the day of his wedding, tackling the age-old question ‘to be or not to be’ with his faithful fish companion Basso (Agatha Elwes). Interweaving their attempts to answer this question, an ensemble of four playmakers perform different short stories surrounding the concept of death.
Designer Enza Kim completely strips back the theatre space of the Drayton Arms, removing all curtains so the room is naked. Lighting designer Barnaby Booth dimly lights the space with static lightbulbs, which creates moments of light and dark that perpetuates the overall feeling of the subject matter they are trying to tackle.
There’s so much to love about the show, but what excelled was the commitment of the ensemble in performing a wide variety of scenarios in a range of theatrical mediums. Wishart brilliantly directs the movement of the ensemble, where they use physical theatre and clever puppetry to portray different people and landscapes. The opening sequence seamlessly blends a fire-person driving perspective with a side profile of the cast physically assembling a moving car. They even puppeteered the vehicle over rolling hills using the curves of a castmate’s body. These small details made the show so rich to engage with.
Puppetry and object theatre were key tools in Wishart’s storytelling, and were executed exceptionally well. A standout moment in the entire show was the portrayal of a male CEO comedically writing his suicide note, using just a bowler hat, a pair of glasses and two hands. Aided by an excellent vocal performance from Lewis Blomfield, this was just one example of how the cast invigorated so much life into simple objects to tell a story.
Amongst the absurdity, Barry also adds effective sprinkles of reality and subdued moments. One of the final sequences shows the cast stood in a line reciting the ‘famous last words’ of influential figures in history. This change of style from the abstract was incredibly impactful, and a thoughtful exploration into how humans as individuals live their lives.
While there is a lot to unpack in this play, Barry’s concept is one that only increases the appetite to watch again. Performing at Drayton Arms Theatre until 20th June, Stories for Boys is a truly unique experience that is funny, dark, thoughtful and thoroughly entertaining.
★★★★
