Barnacle Jack Bones and the Riddle of Fish is a short play ostensibly for children performed with visual and verbal vibrancy by a spirited troupe of grown-ups.
Empathy accounts for much of its success. The show worked because the performers embraced the apprehension, curiosity, interest, and ultimately the enjoyment of the crowd.
Immersive theatre can be unsettling for those people – that is, most people – who expect to be entertained rather than provide the entertainment. Children are more receptive than adults, usually, but here Barnacle Jack Bones and her endearing crew of pirates set the whole room at ease.
The actors became the audience as much as the audience became actors. They created moods including intrigue, glee, play scariness, and contemplation. Some of the corners turned were sharp, some perhaps too sharp. As a whole, however, Barnacle Jack Bones and the Riddle of Fish is a delightful, almost mindful, story-telling experience.
*Barnacle Jack Bones and the Riddle of Fish is 60 minutes of thoughtful fun written and directed by Dominic Grant; produced at Morley College in London between 14 and 16 July 2022.
ROBERT COLE 