The Paper Cinema’s Odyssey

This is the antidote to Monday night’s technological marvel / theatrically inert Robert Lepage show (https://garethjames.wordpress.com/2013/02/12/playing-cards-1-spades). A LoTech wonder!

The Paper Cinema makes theatre with live painting / drawing onto a sort-of overhead projector (remember those? Robert Lepage used to use one!) and by moving cardboard cut-outs in front of a couple of projectors to create (sort of) animations onto a screen. The other key components are live music (guitars, piano, violin, percussion…) and brilliant sound effects. It’s a whole lot better than it sounds.

I can’t say how accurate a presentation of Homer’s The Odyssey this is because I don’t know the story well enough and in any event I was too spellbound by the artistry and inventiveness to be that bothered. This is retro loveliness and magic that’s both charming and cool; it had me captivated from the off and didn’t let me go for the entire 75 minutes.

To steal from Loserville’s advertising style – if you liked The Animals and Children Take to the Streets, you’ll love this. I’m not sure what else to say…well, just GO really…..