Hijinx Theatre's exhaustive tour across England and Wales is taking four actors, one stage manager and a set that fits in the back of a van to teensy venues and places usually overlooked by mainstream theatre. With such diverse audiences, it helps that Charles Way's play is so likable and accessible, dealing as it does with universal themes such as belonging, nostalgia and the irresistible pull of the place we call home.
You know you are in symbolic, folk-tale territory when characters are called Old Mother and Dog Boy. This strange couple meet deep in a forest, joining up for the long journey back to the elderly woman's native village. Much of the narrative, and the fun, lies in how they rub along: the wise woman who has seen it all - "I saw it before it happened" is her catchphrase - and the boy who thinks he's a dog. We watch as she teaches him to speak, dress himself, interact socially and, finally, love; it could almost be a magical-realist version of Mork & Mindy.
If some scenes are a little overlong, they are redeemed by spirited performances from Alex Alderton as the mother and John Norton as her existentially confused companion. Two boisterous, bickering narrators push the tale forward with passion and humour, enveloping it with stirring choral song that lends the production welcome gravity.
There are places where the accents slither about, and a couple of points when the story loses some impact, but this remains a highly engaging production with many moments of visual beauty and emotional connection. Hijinx are to be congratulated for taking such appealing theatre to places where other companies fear to tread.
· At Theatre Powys, Llandrindod Wells, tomorrow. Box office: 01597 824444. Then touring (details: 029 2030 0331).
