Mischief and Mayhem, Little Angel Theatre, stage review: ‘Rambunctious romp through the dangers of overconsumption’
Actress Eve Hellen brings fairy Puck into the 21st century. Photograph: Dirty Feet Theatre Company
Shakespeare may not have had much to say about climate change, but now Dirty Feet Theatre Company have put that to rights.
Mischief and Mayhem – a short play at Little Angel Theatre directed by Esme Pearson-Brown and Anna Robinson – brings Puck and friends into the 21st century to warn humankind about the impending dangers of ruining our lovely planet.
Puck (Eve Hellen) is joined three other fairies, Dr Cavity, alias the tooth fairy (Sophie Barton), Flake (Steph Ritz) and Sprout (Pearl Hoo), each of whom addresses one aspect of climate change and beseeches the audience to heed their warnings.
Sophie Barton plays tooth fairy Dr Cavity. Photograph: Dirty Feet Theatre Company
The show, which unrolls in long-form poetry written by Esme Pearson-Brown, starts with a nod to the venue’s habitual role as a children’s puppet theatre, and develops into a rambunctious romp through the dangers of overconsumption and neglect of the consequences of our actions.
In treating climate change from the point of view of immortal beings who will survive it unscathed, the narrative emphasises the harm that the human species risks doing to itself in sullying its earthly home beyond repair.
With a lively script, song and dance, the production manages to pack wit and jollity into its somewhat dour theme. The dangers of global warming are looming increasingly large in our cultural narrative, and one can only hope that Mischief and Mayhem will go some way toward bringing the message home to a wider audience.
Mischief and Mayhem runs until 15 September at Little Angel Theatre, 14 Dagmar Passage, N1 2DN.
Find out more and book tickets here.