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Show: ‘The Witches of Oz’, ‘Stranger Sings’ and ‘Peter Pan’s Labyrinth’
Society: London (professional shows)
Venue: The Vaults. Launcelot Street, London SE1 7AD
Credits: Various
Type: Sardines
Author: Chris Abbott
Performance Date: 04/11/2022
Peter Pan’s Labyrinth
Chris Abbott | 05 Nov 2022 14:15pm
I have enjoyed many of Sleeping Trees’ shows, and was interested to hear they were doing something different. For this adult-focused show at The Vaults, they have teamed up with a drag performer, meaning the usual trio are working with someone else for the first time. Did it work? Well, only up to a point…
All the usual Sleeping Trees fun was there of course. Joshua Smith, James Dunnel-Smith and John Woodburn have an uncanny ability to read each other’s minds and play off whatever riff someone else has started. Their infectious brand of silliness is deceptively simple but in fact requires a great deal of skill. The ability to instantly switch character and yet comment on that character at the same time creates an ever-spiralling mix of great gags and a strong narrative thread.
Known for their mash-ups, Sleeping Trees have this time combined Peter Pan, the David Bowie film, Labyrinth, and the Spanish film Pan’s Labyrinth. The latter forms little part of the piece apart from a brief appearance by a goat and a nice gag about subtitles. For much of the time, the interplay is between the very familiar story of Peter Pan and the slightly less well-known Labyrinth, interspersed with Bowie songs with rewritten lyrics.
Peter Pan is such a strong story that it can take any level of re-versioning and still stay strong (see Bat Out of Hell), and the trio have come up with memorable characters for Peter, Hook, Tinkerbell and Wendy (who spends much of the time transformed into a characterful slug). I liked the Mermaid too, and the High Priest, and the humanette Baby was a great idea.
It is as the singer of the songs, and to play the role of David Bowie, that drag performer Dan Wye has joined the trio. He certainly presents a credible Bowie, and his laconic, sarcastic and slowly-paced delivery is in contrast to the more manic fast-paced mugging of the Sleeping Trees regulars. This contrast seems a problem when all four are characters in the same story, and Wye looks much more at ease and in control of the audience when he is onstage alone.
Even if this experiment didn’t quite work, there is still much to enjoy here. The inventive set (Maeve Black) makes good use of the space at the Vaults, and the puppets are effective too – especially the one in the Bog of the Eternal Stench. It’s almost as if there are two shows going on here at once – both of them good, but not integrated with each other. The exception is when Bye appears as Pan’s Scouse shadow – a deft characterisation and much more in tune with the regular trio.
Sleeping Trees can always be relied on for a fun night out, and this is basically their usual fare but with swearing and a drag performer. Just make sure you’ve had a drink (or two) first to get fully in the mood. There is lots of panto audience participation, and the Friday night audience were well up for that, whether it was throwing grapes, singing two songs at once or heckling the cast. The bar opens well before the performance starts, but the two hardworking bar staff have to make all kinds of cocktails that take a l-o-o-o-n-g time to prepare, so get there early or go elsewhere first.
If you enjoy this company’s work as much as I do, then do go, as you will have a great time, even if it’s not quite vintage Sleeping Trees. The company are also involved in Little Red Robin Hood, opening soon at Battersea Arts Centre but with a different cast. I look forward to that, and to all Sleeping Trees’ inventive work in the future.