The Devil and Mister Punch

Thursday, 2 February 2012 - Saturday, 25 February 2012

Barbican Pit Theatre, Silk Street, City, EC2Y 8BQ

How Much: £16.00 (Tickets)

Taking its cue from the infinitely adaptable Punch and Judy shows, Improbable's The Devil and Mister Punch explores creativity itself and touches on the taut relationship between puppet and puppeteer. While it balances delicately on a clever set full of hidden panels and is laced in emotive live music, it doesn't give us much to chew on nor does it give the audience much credit among all its meta theatricals.

In the hands of vaudevillians Messrs Harvey and Hovey and director Julian Crouch, Punch is classically vile in form and personality. Judy they kill off early and hilariously so that we can revere Punch's longevity as a villain we love to hate regardless of his victims. One of whom, in this production, is the devil himself.

Harvey and Hovey hide their disdain for Punch well but for our amusement, not perfectly. But this persistent examination of the relationship between the performers and their puppets excludes the audience a little, labours on the same point and doesn't make a particularly profound statement.

The comedy comes regularly and from the most bizarre avenues and is at its funniest when it makes a point but few are made. While I can't fault any aspect of the production's quality, it doesn't linger for as long as it should.

Naima Khan