This was such a wholesome hour. Harley Walker tells us deeply personal tales, sharing memories of her grandmother using puppetry and voice recordings. The show opens with a discussion of the writing process, and how therapeutic the creation of this piece was for our host, and it shows:  it is a heartwarming emotional piece that clearly comes from the heart. The puppetry is elegantly done, with all the handmade wooden elements adding to the homely and cosy feeling generated here. The script is funny and touching, though I found myself wishing it was a bit tighter in terms of a storyline, instead of a connected collection of memories. Yet, it’s a show full of love, and lovely for it.

Gilded Balloon at Appleton Tower, until 24 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Andrew Melrose]