A new show from the mighty 1927 theatre company is always an event: coming 12 years after their stunning ‘Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea’ took the 2007 Fringe by storm, ‘Roots’ is only the company’s fourth theatre show (alongside two German operas – one of which, ‘The Magic Flute’, had its only UK dates at the EIF back in 2015).
We don’t know a whole lot about ‘Roots’, which will receive its European premiere at the EIF this year. The official description simply states ‘the company has unearthed a catalogue of thousands of little-known folk tales, that offer a fascinating glimpse into the imaginations of our forebears’ – which sounds both unlikely, and also suspiciously dry coming from the subversive duo of Suzanne Andrade and Paul Barritt. We’ll find out soon enough, though it’s pretty much a given that the duo’s ultra-distinctive mix of impressionistic animated visuals and live performance will remain key to the show.