Hand To God
By
Robert Askins
First
of all, there may be those readers who believe wrongly TLT is an online sock
puppet. And a sock puppet with its own sock puppet in the shape of her little equally
opinionated limo.
Let
us clear this up once and for all. We enjoyed this show, Hand To God, though we are definitely
not sock puppets. We are a human being and a motorised vehicle with a birth
certificate and a current MOT.
And
we are not connected in any way shape or form with: Hand To God anti-hero Tyrone,
a sock puppet masterfully manipulated by Harry Melling as troubled teen Jason; sock puppets in general; writer cum bartender Robert Askins; director Moritz Von
Stuelpnagel or designer Beowulf Boritt.
But
we did wonder whether the spectacularly-named Moritz Von Stuelpnagel or Beowulf
Boritt really existed from birth, especially when widow Margery (Janie Dee) rips out pages
of patriarchal family trees from the bible with relish.
But
a quick search of that new bible, the internet, reveals a real Moritz Von
Stuelpnagel, an educator as well as director. And, if related, a Von Stuelpnagel family with a serious
history.
OK,
so it looks as though Askins with his Ubu Roi in Rural Texas romp wasn't talking to
his own sock puppet director in rehearsals. But Beowulf Boritt? Surely ... But
yes, here's another guy with a serious family history.
Back to the Vaudeville. Pastor Greg (Neil Pearson) asks Margery to put
on a performance to showcase the work of the sock puppet ministry (oh ye of little faith, these actually exist)
attended by her introvert son Jason, local juvenile delinquent Timmy (Kevin Mains) and girl-next-door
Jessica (Jemima Rooper) on whom Jason has a crush. But Jason also has his life taken over by
his xxhis own handxx demonic sock puppet, Tyrone ...
TLT
and jalopy did wonder if Tyrone had appeared as a cartoon character on the
small screen in a cartoon sitcom, it would have been seen as just another of
the South Park/Family Guy genre, even with, or perhaps because of, the puppet-on-puppet sex
(did we mention that?!). But theatre is
its own powerful visceral medium with a different impact on its audience. And Jessica's
reaction to Jason's devilish appendage on stage is - strangely innocent and
resourceful - and very funny.
Some
of
the story threads do feel as stitched together as a character's torn
off ear (maybe we're all turning into patched-up puppets?!!!) and
of dubious taste, yet this is the gospel according to Tyrone, not Saint
Jason,
Timothy, Gregory or Margery.
Give yourself up to the truly mesmerizing performance of Melling as Jason and
sock puppet Tyrone without too much
detailed analysis and you'll understand why it's proved an almost cathartic
experience for audiences.
Oh,
and Beowulf Boritt's revolving sets, complete with a little limo no
less (what's not to like?!), also keep this fable fast and frantic with
the puppets designed by Marte Johanne Ekhougen in this hellishly funny
sermon.
So
Texas may be famous for its lone star, oil wells, the Bush family,
cattle, the assassination of a president, cowboys, as the buckle of the
bible belt, Enron and the burrito. But it can now
can add Tyrone the devil sock puppet to its Wikipedia list. Aw shucks, Hand To
God's not perfect, but humans ain't perfect neither, so it's a yee haw amber/green
light from us.
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