Venue: The Institut français d’Ecosse (The French Institute of Scotland)
Date and Time: Saturday 15 August, 11am
Ticket Price: £11.50
Rating: ★★★★ (4/5)
Reviewed by: Heather Gordon
Across from St Giles’ Cathedral stands the French Institute of Scotland, an impressive building I had never had the pleasure of visiting before. As I climbed the grand staircase before waiting in the foyer, I saw numerous families with small children, eagerly anticipating what we were about to experience.
As we entered the performance space, we were met by a very smiley and warm-looking puppeteer. Beside her rested a simple crane structure, which would become a focal point throughout much of the performance.
The story followed a puppet who loses its home and sets out on a journey to find it again, encountering numerous other puppets and houses along the way.
It expertly explored themes of displacement and belonging, with the core message delivered at the end: that even in life’s darkest moments, when you feel most lost, home remains within your heart. This message resonates with audiences of all ages and is particularly poignant, I think, as a parent myself, for those contemplating the inevitable day when they become empty nesters.
One of my personal highlights was a scene involving a brightly coloured bird, which the puppeteer moved towards the audience while its shadow was projected above us. The effect was captivating and added to the dreamlike nature of the performance.
The children’s reactions also added greatly to the atmosphere, with one baby near the front spending much of the performance laughing uncontrollably, much to the amusement of those around them.
I felt the balance between French and English was handled particularly well, with subtitles projected onto the surfaces behind the puppeteer, making the story easy enough to follow. While the pacing occasionally felt slow and some sequences were repetitive, these choices were well suited to the young target audience.
The show concluded with a message about the importance of peace and compassion, and the puppeteer encouraged the children to meet her and the puppets after the performance, creating a memorable and personal connection.
Overall, I was highly impressed by the venue and the creative use of lighting, shadows, sound and puppetry. Noise from a neighbouring performance occasionally broke the immersion, but I quickly found myself drawn back into the story. It was also a genuine pleasure watching families engrossed in the show together.
I would happily recommend both the production and a visit to the French Institute of Scotland, which appears to host a diverse programme of talks, films and literary events throughout the year.
