Meet Fred
Gloucester Guildhall
⭑⭑⭑⭑☆

ANY show that has travelled to over 20 countries during the last 10 years, let alone that it carries warnings about puppet nudity and strong language, must have something noteworthy about it. Hijinx’s play about Fred, a two-foot high, cloth puppet and his struggle to live an ordinary life is more than noteworthy, it is remarkable.

Three highly skilful puppeteers, manipulating Fred in the traditional Japanese Bunraku style of puppetry, slowly bring him into being and lead him through a series of life experiences from attending the job centre where he is threatened with losing his PLA (Puppet Living Allowance) if he does not take one of the unsuitable jobs on offer, to the problems arising from the incompatibility issues with online dating.

Gradually, the very basic puppet takes on an engaging personality, but Fred is no child’s puppet and rails against the director for stereotyping him with child friendly roles. From an amusingly unsynchronised start, excitedly and nervously getting to grips with his body and his ability to move, to the realisation that it is his story to tell as long as it is within certain constrictively reductive parameters, we follow Fred’s unsteady progress.

His ongoing battle to understand his own existence, and come to terms with the onstage directorial pressures and his maker’s design for him, shape all his experiences. These are sometimes crude and hilarious, and at other times tender and moving. His lack of success does not end with the traditional childhood homilies attached to many puppet performances but abusive rants against Pinocchio as a potential role model, drunken binges and thoughts of suicide.

Meaningfully supported by disabled and autistic performers with a backdrop of blackboards confusingly covered with interconnecting flow diagrams of Fred’s possible life experiences, the production is an imaginative and effective way of illustrating some of the problems faced by individuals with issues that stop them from being perceived as ordinary.

All efforts are made to involve the audience in a two-way experience without any pressure to perform. This relaxed and accessible adult production, supported by simple, full text surtitles, is at the start of a national tour and should open many people’s eyes to the delights and possibilities of puppetry without needing complex designs or epic proportions.

On tour in England and Wales until June 5. For tickets and venues see: hijinx.org.uk