Mildred and the Midnight City continues at the Pleasance Courtyard until 25 August.
Making a welcome return to Edinburgh, HookHitch brings this utterly enchanting original story to life through live action, puppetry and shadow puppetry in a parable for our times. Set in a freezing cold future, Mildred is one of many people busily scraping plastic from screwdriver handles for the evil Mumblecrunch Industries.
Mildred is captivating – a gorgeous wee dolly puppet with a red tammy and scarf, we see her at the factory and follow her home to her only companion, Mrs Cat. The hardest heart would melt at the language they babble to each other.
In this frozen world of hard work and polar bears, Mildred is set a challenge to send a message to the world and she bravely sets off on her intrepid journey. The story itself is wonderful, but the characterisations of Mildred’s co-workers, Mildred herself and the polar bear she meets are sublime.
The music is almost continuous, the actors taking up a range of instruments to accompany the rousing shanties and haunting harmonies that underscore Mildred’s adventure. HookHitch consistently achieves a sense of community in its company that many others must envy.
The audience I was in numbered about 50 people. Only one of us was a real child (about 3-4 years old) yet we all became children, enthralled by Mildred.
Fiona Orr
* HookHitch Theatre
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/mildred-and-the-midnight-city
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