You don't really go to Earl's Court expecting to find the Sahara desert, but Cornish Theatre Collective's adaptation of Paulo Coelho's cult novel is a genuinely transporting experience. With a little hessian, the beat of a foot or drum and their own physical skills they create theatrical alchemy, conjuring musky Tangiers, caravans, camels, fighting hawks, oases and Pyramids from an almost empty stage.
Coelho's story concerns Santiago, a young Spanish shepherd boy who longs to travel and has frequent dreams about finding hidden treasure in the Pyramids. So after consulting a fortune teller who understands dreams and omens, he sets out on a long, arduous journey to Africa during which he suffers adversity and finds adventure. But because he listens to omens, and is prepared to follow his destiny, he ultimately succeeds. As the Alchemist tells him: "When a person really desires something the universe conspires to help him fulfil his dreams."
This is the kind of novel that Geri Halliwell would probably read. It combines storytelling with lots of dodgy mysticism and self-help advice along the lines of: "You have nothing to hold you back except yourself," and "It is only fear of failure that defeats you."
But it is not so much the message of the story as the telling of it that counts here, and CTC do it with a captivating simplicity. The company's work demonstrates a rare and risky ability to be wide-eyed, charming and almost naive without being in the slightest bit fey. It is artfully artless.
The performance style owes much to Mike Alfreds's early work with Shared Experience and Tim Supple's approach to Grimm Tales, and director Dominic Knutton never loses sight of the fact that first and foremost he is telling a story. The production greatly benefits from the intimacy of the Finborough, which allows the actors - all wonderfully still and measured - to really communicate with the audience. A delightful, unexpected treat, and perhaps a good omen of what the fringe may bring this year.
