Konstantin: Grandmother’s Tongue

The mythic rooster Konstantin and his protective and enlivening role in a small, safe village is introduced by Grandmother Babcia (Alison Richards) and provides a backdrop for the compelling story of the hardships of Grandmother Babcia and her hen, Kazia’s journey from safety to displacement. Their story throws light on the role of animals as companions, myths and in some of the play’s most difficult moments, as food.

Alison Richards carries the weight of the story with ease, focus and humour and winningly invites the audience to join her. The decision to add layers of music, both instrumental and sung, puppetry and shadow play is not entirely effective. The original contemporary song cycle contrasted strongly with the storytelling and sometimes sat very uncomfortably beside it. The best musical moments were when Slavic folk tunes were sympathetically added.

The hen puppet was brought to life by Kaira Hachefa. There was an extended episode when the hen visited the audience which excluded people in the front of the audience. The shadow play was almost always out of focus and so the action was unclear. The background of naive lino-print style drawings was evocative.

This is a rich performance with references to difficult political situations and ‘making the best of the situation’ humour mixed in with the piercing sorrow of the loss of place.

Ruth Richter

Photographer: Sharif Muniir