Meet Fred. He enjoys long walks on the beach, a sense of humour and oh yeah, he's a puppet.
A heartwarming production brimming with self-aware comedy and original riffs, 'Meet Fred' follows the adventures of Fred, as he navigates his puppet anatomy and staggers through life with his puppeteering support workers to help him.
Fred's charming voice, brought to life by Daniel McGowan, offers an innocent insight into the adult world, as he faces the job centre, a first date and his longing to meet his creator. But this is no innocent affair. Despite his simple looks, Fred is no stranger to foul language or mature content. Ben Pettitt-Wade's witty direction provides a fresh take on the puppet genre – no Muppets in sight.
The set however, leaves room for the imagination; simple black flats with sprawling mind maps etched on, resembling that of a frantic director's inner thoughts, each providing different narratives that Fred could embark upon. This offers a fitting backdrop to the unpredictable narrative that follows.
The production's diverse cast adds another layer of depth to this darkly comic original. In association with Blind Summit, Hijinx Theatre Company stitch together a cast of multi-talented actors including Richard Newham, Lindsay Foster and Gareth John, all of whom have additional needs. John's comic timing coupled with Newham and Foster's perfect characterization provide a significantly more human depth to a performance about a stuffed piece of cloth.
Expect puppet nudity, excessive amounts of rice, and more heart than you might expect - no strings attached.
Meet Fred was reviewed at York Theatre Royal, 21st February 2017
For tickets and more information visit Hijinx Theatre
This sounds like a brilliant show!