Les Enfants Terribles come full circle

“What we want to do is something that excites,” says James Seager, Les Enfants Terribles’ producer. “Hopefully the programme shows our versatility.” He’s talking about the three shows that the theatrical troupe are hosting at the Fringe this year – the troupe's previous hits The Terrible Infants and Ernest and the Pale Moon being joined by their new hit musical Vaudevillains. This is the year that the theatrical group will dominate large-scale macabre productions in Edinburgh.

The last of these shows previewed at the Pleasance Dome last week, taking over the Palm Court (main courtyard area under the dome) for their triumphant return. An incredible illustration of their dynamism and musical talent, it combines acting expertise, tuneful proficiency and striking design to create a show that has been met with critical acclaim. It will be suceeded this week by two showings of last year’s sell-out Ernest and a week of The Terrible Infants, originally unleashed on the Fringe in 2007.

The group is famous for its darkly humorous style. Comparisons to the stories of Roald Dahl and Tim Burton seem to lace most reviews and descriptions of their productions, and although I try to avoid asking about such inspirations, Seager happily drops them in himself. Both Vaudevillains and Ernest are darkly humorous tales of murder, while The Terrible Infants is littered with creepy tales of youngsters’ wrongdoing and their consequences. But, as Seager explains, they are designed with balanced wit.

“I think we like the dark elements of stories, but also shades of laughter amongst it. It’s not horrendously dark – we want to bring out the comical elements as well.”

Set in The Empire Music Hall, their newest production looks at the careers of those suspected of killing the hall’s owner, Charlie. Delivered almost entirely in verse, its poetic narrator appears at intervals between the featured acts. This approach is a fairly new one – while music features in The Terrible Infants and Ernest, it is designed to complement the performance of the actors.

“Over the previous two shows, we liked to use actor-musicians and we liked that not to be the point of the story," says Seager. "In The Terrible Infants it’s an act of grabbing an instrument as a prop and playing a bit of that then putting it down – the same with Ernest. We want to use instruments rather than saying ‘Look at me! I’m playing an instrument!’”

This foray in to the musical, he explains, is a result of the dynamic of the show's production team. Working together, they have allowed the group's to productions evolve.

“Oliver (Lansley) writes all of the shows,” Seager says. “Tom (Gisby) is a musician. He composes all the music to our shows. As the shows have gone on, Tom has got more involved and wanted to do more music.

“So Tom and Olly sat down and said what would be really fun is a musical. They came to me, and we like to set ourselves challenges—we’ve never done a musical before—but we thought we should go for it and see what we can do.”

Vaudevillains is perhaps the most exciting chapter of Les Enfants Terribles’ increasingly melodious tale. It boasts a multi-instrumental band, whilst various acts dabble in instrument-playing themselves. Seager explains that it is a natural succession, moving beyond the narrative focus of Ernest.

“Over the last ten years," since the group started, "the style has gone more musical,” he says. “Each show has led on to the other- we wouldn’t have been able to do Vaudevillains had we not done Ernest and The Terrible Infants, and before that the Infant Immaculate – each one has been a stepping stone.”

This progression has seen the group reach new heights, even before the introduction of their first full musical. Recent tours of Asia and Europe, as well as a sell-out run at the Fringe last year have made Les Enfants hot property. This year’s cameo will see them take to the stage at the aptly named Presence Grand, a venue that Seager says “can equal the vision of what we are all about.”

They have made changes to refine the shows: new design, new narration from none other than Dame Judy Dench (which was absent from the 2007 show, but did feature in 2008) – what Seager describes as a general “tarting up.” Presenting the three shows over the month, he says, is a way of showcasing the development that has led to their latest musical experiment.

“Our first ever show was called West and we did that at the Assembly Rooms. It was set in a fictional nightclub and had a live band and bit of live music, even if it wasn’t a full musical. It’s strange that now we have come full circle in the sense that we’re back to having a live band and an eleven strong cast, which is what we started with.”

If the direction of Vaudevillains is anything to go by, this return to their early style will see Les Enfants Terribles progress to even more exciting projects.