Cuddy Gill was born with skin the colour of a blueberry. He spends an awful lot of time in bed. Sometimes he is so sick of doctors and pills that he feels like he is going to explode. But in his imagination, Cuddy can travel to an island with white sands and parrots, where the temperature gauge always reads delightful and David Beckham roams around.
Heartbreak Soup is the story of Cuddy's life as told by himself, with the help of his imaginary 12-year-old friend Dan and a bed with magic drawers. Cuddy's life is set to change in a big way: he is about to have a heart transplant.
In the sensitive hands of writer-director Laura Lindow, what could have been a grim tale becomes a fun, headlong tumble into the power of the imagination. I particularly liked the episode where Cuddy fends off a nasty attack from the Great Aorta.
This is a kids' show that packs in an awful lot, including death, love and friendship. With its charming but never icky performances from Scott Turnbull and Chris Price, the play warms and lifts up your heart like a hot-air balloon.
