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Dragons & Mythical Beasts
Dragons and Mythical Beasts
Underbelly, McEwan Hall
August 4 -21 (not 10, 17), 11.20am
by Gareth K Vile
Calling all brave heroes! Unveil a myriad of dark secrets and come face to face with some of the most magnificent monsters and terrifying beasts ever to walk the earth. Discover the colossal Stone Troll, the mysterious Indrik and Japanese Baku, the Tooth Fairy (not as sweet as you'd think), an adorable Unicorn and majestic Griffin. Take your place among legendary heroes, just don't wake the Dragon...
Gareth K Vile speaks to Max Humphries
Can you tell me a little about the inspiration for your show?
We wanted to build on the success of our dinosaur show, Dinosaur World Live, and the presentation and puppetry style we developed of having it played like a fun real-world event that enveloped the audience rather than a story happening on stage with a hard 4th wall.
I love monsters and both me and Derek are big Dungeons & Dragons nerds so it seemed like a good fit to build a show around the deep lore of world mythology. It was fun to put our own spin on classics like the dragon and the unicorn whilst also introducing the audience to less well-known creatures like the baku and indrik.
What role do puppets play in the production, and why did you decide to use them?
Puppets are theatre in its purest form, the personification of the suspension of disbelief, and they have the ability to stretch and push an audience's imagination to places other theatre forms simply cannot go. You couldn't do a show like ours without puppets, they're integral to the concept.
All theatre techniques have their strengths, but there ain't really any other way to have a four-meter-tall stag made of trees walk out on stage that's going to be a half as good as actually having a four-meter-tall stag made of trees walk out on stage.
Gareth K Vile speaks to Derek Bond
Is this work typical of your productions, and do you have a particular dramaturgical approach to making theatre?
My work is quite varied, but I often find ways to include puppets... My approach changes depending on the show, but I always want to create shows that require the audience to use their imagination - they are an essential part of the show; everything we do is helping them to imagine something amazing.
And do you feel that the Fringe is a good place for your work? What are you hoping to experience?
I love the Fringe, and it's a great place to see work, especially family shows. You never get that concentration of amazing productions in one city anywhere else. We'd love to experience full houses, and perhaps kids leaving the theatre inspired to make their own mythical creature puppets.
