The Anguish of Unfulfilled Expectations

The Old Trout Puppet Workshop gang are a favourite of the Magnetic North Theatre Festival. Returning for the fourth time, this year's production is about the "erotic anguish" of legendary lover Don Juan. As punishment for his life of questionable morality, the now condemned figure must tell his own sordid tale as a warning to others. Don Juan's bad behaviour in life has also landed him the proverbial eternity in chains. And, rather aptly, the chains are connected to Juan's *most famous* appendage (a visual gag that has to be experienced, and so I won't even try to explain). The story begins with the strange and unfortunate circumstances surrounding his birth and upbringing and then follows his development into the selfish, yet charming womanizer we have come to know as the famous lover Don Juan.

There is no doubt the Trouts are a talented bunch. Dedicated to re-imagining the art of puppetry, their previous productions have included such unforgettable moments as the birth of a puppet (complete with a giant puppet womb) in "The Unlikely Birth of Istvan" and a slowly decomposing puppet corpse in "Famous Puppet Death Scenes". Always ready to tackle the bigger questions of humanity, "The Erotic Anguish of Don Juan" is all about love. Even after he is forced to relive the heartbreak and lonliness he both caused and experienced, Juan ends the play as he lived his life: firm in the belief that love is all there is worth living for. After all, how could any of his actions offend when they were only ever motivated by pleasure and the desire to love?

As usual, the visual and technical elements in this Old Trout show are impeccable. Once again, there is a fusion between human and puppet where actors play the various people (and animals!) from Don Juan's past, but their appearance is enhanced by complicated costume pieces such as giant picture frames attached to their heads, that make each player also his own puppet.

Unfortunately, this attempt at ruminations on a theme were not enough to keep this fan entertained for the full 75 minutes. I do admit that after enjoying previous inclusions in MNTF, my expectations were quite high for the Trouts new show. I wasn't entirely let down by them, as the spectacle they present is still magical. But I was bored by this flimsy story; and I am starting to wonder if maybe there isn't another group out there who could do with the spot in the Festival the Trouts have enjoyed for such a number of years. In other words: been there, seen that.

Rating: O

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The Erotic Anguish of Don Juan is part of the Magnetic North Theatre Festival and runs at the GCTC June 4 - 7.