Take a pinch of psychedelia, a touch of manga, a dash of political fable and the touchy-feely goodwill of a reception-class circle time and you have Candylion. A collaboration between musician Gruff Rhys (who appears on stage), playwright Tim Price and director Wils Wilson, it bills itself as a theatre gig for all ages. It’s harmless, at times even quite lovable, but it’s hard to believe that, given the talent of those involved, this show could be quite so bland. I know it’s the season for goodwill, but the average panto has rather more bite than this lame fable.
Under its founding artistic director John McGrath, who is departing to lead the Manchester International Festival, National Theatre Wales has unceasingly probed what form theatre might take and the means by which it can be distributed. The result has been a body of work that challenges what we mean by theatre and redefines the relationship between artists and audiences. It’s often been an exhilarating ride and one that has thrown up some surprises. The latest is this hybrid of gig and theatre intended for all ages and inspired by Rhys’s 2007 album Candylion. But it doesn’t help that the theatre action mostly happens around the edges.
In Pixel Valley the annual pixel harvest is about to begin. Everyone should be happy, because pixels are such a magical fruit. Open one up and inside you might find a cloud, or fireworks or a tickle. But the inhabitants of Pixel, who include the Polar Pear, the Sledgehog and the Cheffyl, have not been taking enough care of each other and Candylion is unhappy. And when Candylion is unhappy, she turns monstrous. Can Candylion’s best friend, Caruin, save the day?
Of course he can, although, initially, he just runs away – in the evening’s best sequence when he travels across the landscape and meets the badminton-playing Cone People. The design is fun and the characters look cute but lack depth, so you can’t either root fully for them or take against them. It’s impossible to dislike, so it’s probably best to have another drink, allow yourself to be seduced by the trippy music, join in the conga and, like the inhabitants of Pixel Land, offer complete strangers positive vibes and a hug.
- Until 2 January. Box office: 029-2037 1689.
