Peculiar River, A

Laughing Horse @ The Counting House    6 - 26 August @ 12.00    Alchemy Troupe

From the opening chorus number - a tableau of weird and wonderful characters - this production looks as if it might promise an interesting array of stories not unlike something from One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. However, this was a show of missed opportunities. Some of the characters sat too easily with their stereotypes, such as the son who is spanked by his oppressive, religious fanatic of a mother; or the Lush who suddenly announces she is a lesbian. The audience also had no idea who the characters were, the lack of explanation becoming rapidly confusing. But the well-rehearsed cast portrayed the characters well, although it would have been more interesting to dig a bit deeper to discover why they were in the bedlam they found themselves experiencing. Musical accompaniment was provided by an onstage keyboard and played by a number of the cast to good effect.