It is an immense credit to Magpie Puppet Co’s storytelling prowess that they were able to evoke such vibrant and absorbing images of a freezing Edinburgh night within The Pleasance’s Attic, a sweltering sauna of a space on the day in question. Under Jimmy Grimes’ direction, the company’s debut production effectively explores the story of baby Jack, whose heart freezes at birth during a cruel Victorian winter. Jack is saved by the eccentric and brilliantly characterised Dr Madeline with the aid of a cuckoo clock device which prompts his heart to beat again. However, this gift of life comes with conditions: as Jack grows he must avoid over-exertion or excitement, and especially, cannot fall in love.
Based on the adult fairytale (and soon to be released animated film) by Mathias Malzieu, the show has a deliciously gothic, steam-punk feel, enhanced by an atmospheric set and darkly absurd dialogue. Winners of the Les Enfants Terribles Award 2012, the company bring the tale to life using a multidisciplinary mix of artforms and methods that includes puppetry, song and direct audience address. The edgy compere Mr Heim (Martin Dempsey) moves the action along in a style reminiscent of The Tiger Lillies, which keeps the audience engaged but at times could be tempered by greater vocal variety and less shouting.
The young Jack, represented as a puppet expertly operated by the ensemble, inevitably falls in love as soon as he is allowed out of the house. Although this feels predictable, the story is well set up and comments effectively on the folly of the human heart. Whilst well played out, the timeline of events here is slightly confusing, with Jack’s age at various stages being unclear, exacerbated by some poor sight-lines. The beautiful Acacia (Nadia Babke) is Jack’s object of affection, an almost blind singer, cruelly treated by her employer Mr Heim. Babke is perfectly cast, playing the role with an absorbing grace and fragility that hints at disaster just around the corner. Quickly this disaster finds Jack in the form of a violent event, and he is forced to flee to Paris. Here he is eventually reunited with Acacia, but presented too with a love rival who acts as a catalyst for the seeming destruction of his delicate heart. In this dark tale, the resolution that one hopes for never comes, but this feels fitting as a commentary on the vagaries of love, delivered here with stylistic virtuosity.