Sleeping Trees' Odyssey

     Just the Tonic at the Caves, 16:40, every day but the 13th

      Remember the one about Odysseus? No? Well, neither do the Sleeping Trees, really. Having read the ancient classic a few years ago, this Total Theatre Award shortlisted troupe present the bits of the Odyssey that they can remember, and hope we can ignore the bits they've forgotten.
      By way of breath-taking distraction, the trio chant, dance, sing, leap around and provide their own sound-effects and inner monologues without the need of such modern things as lighting or sound techies. After all, when originally performed or recited, the Homeric classic would have been accompanied by just these kinds of wild gesticulations, enthusiastic facial expressions, and sky-high suspensions of disbelief.
     The show is the last of the troupe's Stories project, which has relied entirely on the performers, rather than props and scenery. This has become a common theme in low-budget shows, but in this case in particular it allows the audience to use their own imagination to flesh out the details- just as they would do when hearing the original or reading it in paper form.
     Having left some parts out, it is helpful to have a background knowledge of the Odyssey before seeing this production in particular. How Odysseus got from birth to inside the Trojan Horse, for example, is not really discussed, and many key details are missed out. But for those who already have knowledge of the Classics, there is nothing truly offensive here- just a nice light-hearted version of an already well-loved tale. For those of us who haven't read the book, but remember bits of the movie, plain-speaking actors and an incredibly relaxed tone make this an Odyssey far easier to digest than pretty much any other incarnation.
     Already a recipient of Fringe Guru's One To Watch award for the Fringe 2013, this is a show which, quite frankly, is brilliant, and probably far better than the original.