Did you know that there was a fourth wise man who saw the star burning brightly in the sky and set off to follow it? But who was he and what happened to him? In Purni Morell’s show he is Artaban, a man who values wisdom and spends much time scouring his books and examining the night sky but who has left his own life unexamined. While his gentle potter wife, Samira, advises him to be happy with what he’s got, Artaban’s sense of dissatisfaction grows. He tries hobbies, canoeing and archery, with disastrous consequences, but when he spots a bright star in the sky he heads off on what should be the adventure of a lifetime.
A simple design from Verity Quinn and Attab Haddad’s live music, featuring the the oud, are both bonuses; and Philip Arditti as the bungling Artaban and Ritu Arya as his wife – but also most deliciously a stubborn but loyal camel who he buys along the way – are excellent. But, despite some slapstick as Artaban tries out his hobbies and some moments of adventure including a sandstorm and a blizzard, there’s something a little aimless about the storytelling, which lacks tension.
What’s more, it seems very oddly pitched for its young audience of four-plus. Essentially, it’s the story of a midlife crisis, which is not on the whole something that is high on the list of worries of an age group who live almost entirely in the moment.
Although the idea that you should be happy with what you’ve got may be a useful one, particularly at a time of material excess, it’s also one that potentially limits horizons, too. What’s wrong with dreaming of better? Grownup theatre for children that doesn’t patronise is a hallmark of the Unicorn’s programming, but like Artaban with his bow and arrow, this show misses the mark.
• Until 4 January. Box office: 020-7645 0560. Venue: Unicorn theatre.
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