Assembly Roxy
This is a charming piece of theatre for family audiences. Knock Knock combines beautiful touches of physical theatre, clown, mask and synchronised routines to tell the story of a woodcutter, Harris and a botanist Pepper. Awaiting the start of the show I marvel at the elaborate and beautifully made set; a forest and a cottage share the stage evocative of a fairy-tale world. Although a deep earth magic is beautifully suggested through in a Green Man carved in an old oak tree who receives the characters offerings or fairies lighting up the night, this story centres around human relationships.
We meet the delightful Harris, sporting a truly fantastic beard, and Pepper a passionate collector of plants. The performers have a lovely connection with the audience throughout with expressive faces and direct eye contact. The story follows their burgeoning relationship from meeting to falling in love to marriage. But social expectations and gender roles as husband and wife soon put pressure on their new relationship which begins to unravel.
The company, Hot Coals, have developed a unique visual and inclusive style; with a musical soundtrack but no words the piece is classified as d/deaf accessible. But in fact it is accessible and welcoming for all audiences. My favourite moments are the simple, comedic routines which are classically clown, like failing to find each other as they walk around a tree. That however is just one of the beautifully sweet moments you’ll find in this show. This is visual feast that will tug at your heartstrings.
My mini-reviewer said : “I liked it when it rained rice from a watering can.”
(Robyn Hambrook)
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