“Don’t stray fromm the path”, Rosaleen’s grandmother warns her throughout this adaptation of Angela Carter’s adult version of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ and this performance benefits by straying away from the beaten track and offering an innovative retelling. The audience are invited to sit upon picnic blankets as the action unfolds around them, and such an arrangement – when combined with soft acoustic interludes – gives such a sense of whimsy that the shocking and adult content benefits hugely from the juxtaposition, in a way that reflects Carter’s text. The energy of the cast really lifts this performance, whilst the use of body language is particularly impressive moving from childlike to eerie, foreboding to violent in a heartbeat.

C eca, 2-27 Aug (not 14), 8.35pm
tw rating 4/5 | [Beth Dawson]