Sing a Storm of Blackbirds
Tale on Fire
Venue 45 @ 12:00 7th – 26th (@16:00 21st – 26th) (not 13th, 20th) £7.00 (£6.00)
****
Conceived and devised by a group of recent graduates and their cohorts Sing a Storm of Blackbirds is a wonderful piece, elegantly stylised and capable of drawing you into their narrative beautifully. It tells the story of two Kosovan refugee brothers and their encounters having arrived in Oxford in 1998, in particular an ill-fated relationship with two English sisters.

Tale on Fire aspire to continue as a professional group, and so they should. Unfortunately their work so far is woefully unsubscribed if the bums on seats at this performance are anything to go by and that is a terrible shame.

There is great use of minimal props and costumes and the most is made of their sole piece of set, a black climbing frame, of which practically every inch of it is employed with deft skill. Some delightful physical theatre features here with techniques drawn straight from their relatively recent training. The well-advised vocal work is a graceful pleasure with the brothers’ and other accents expertly performed.

The script is tight, referential, carefully researched and full of gentle humour. Based partially on the real experiences of two immigrants, the characters and events come across as entirely genuine even if the latter details of this relationship story seemed plucked from a soap opera plotline.

You could easily miss this play within the commotion of the Fringe but I sincerely advise you not to.

by Ian Phillips