New Owner

Presented by PICA as part of the 2016 AWESOME Festival, The Last Great Hunt’s show New Owner is a beautiful World Premiere that features puppetry, live action, animation and projection to tell a story of relationships through the eyes of a dog.

The protagonist is a gorgeous, little, white, fluffy dog who is skilfully brought to life by Tim Watts, winning hearts and fully engaging the audience. Arielle Gray plays the people and animals in our nameless hero’s life (publicity calls him Bernie) , from a lovely elderly owner Mabel, a luckless puppy pal and a thoughtful police officer - in varying but always mesmerising performances.

The way that the puppets move through the space is fascinating, as the projections and puppets merge in a way that is both stunning and absorbing, and needs to be seen in order to appreciate. Anthony Watt’s set feels magic, Chloe Flockart’s puppets are utterly charming and in this wordless play, Rachael Dease’s beautiful original music is integral to the story.

This very sensitively told story will charm audiences of all ages. While recommended for ages 7 and up, as it deals with loss, and is quite sad at times, the four-year-old sitting beside me adored the show and it certainly had this often cynical critic, completely absorbed. A show with magic, lots of love and a simple but important story.

Kimberley Shaw