Lucy Ayrton definitely has a gift for storytelling. And the tales she crafts – in lilting, lyrical, prose – are designed in every way to be spoken aloud, from rhythmic rhyming to facial expressions and dramatic gestures. This is storytelling as it is meant to be; with heroes (and equally heroines, Ayrton insists), dragons, romance and morals-of-the-story aplenty, the show provides an hour’s welcome relief from the harsh realities of adulthood. Ayrton herself is a competent speaker – with a marvellous memory – and more witty than her act suggests. There are a few gaps here; the songs in particular break the soporific spell unnecessarily, but the atmosphere created by Lucy (and indeed her theatrical venue), is worth experiencing.

The Banshee Labyrinth, 4 – 14 Aug, 6.20pm.
tw rating 4/5 | [Olivia Sleet]