Le Enfants Terribles are back, this time with a smaller show then what I’d seen them do before with Goosebumps Alive, Inside Pussy Riot and Alice’s Adventures Underground. The Trench is a renewal of a show previously toured which helped put the company on the map.
The Trench centres around the true story of a miner in World War I who gets trapped underground when a bomb goes off. The lines between fantasy and reality are quickly blurred and by the end his true character really shines through the darkness.
World War II is a subject that has learnt itself to countless performances over the years, often in over romanticised ways. While this was a concern at the start of the sow this performance quickly veers off and creates its own path in a way that is what Le Enfants Terribles is known for. This is a story told through practical effects, poetry, puppetry, mime, projection & live music to take this show to the metaphysical.
The lighting in this show is fairly simple but used to maximum effect and helps take a lot of the practical effects to the next level. The show is signed designed and composted by Alexander Wolfe who plays on stage throughout, the effect is an amazing multilevel soundscape which is really unique in a show of this size. The set looks simple at first but throughout the show its uses and surprises are revealed to create a whole world. The direction is handled beautifully and really brings the most out of every movement and moment.
This is a show that appears to be fairly simple but takes some surprising twists leaving a lot open to audience interpretation. The Trench is on at the Southwark Playhouse until November 17th tickets start at £16.
Tickets were given to me in exchange for a review, all words and opinions are my own.
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