Street Dreams

Peace and quiet are rare in this life, especially in Edinburgh during the Fringe. The festival can be non stop fun but it is also physically draining and shows that grant their audiences the opportunity to pause and reflect are few and far between. Street Dreams, however, offers an oasis of calm at the heart of the frantic festival.

Situated in the depths of Cowgate’s Underbelly, in a space resembling a vast Anderson Shelter, Street Dreams is a lovingly put together puppet show which could not be further from the shrill tones and lurid humour of Punch and Judy. Following an old man on his restless and bizarre quest for peace and quiet, it is certainly not an action-packed production but builds slowly to a finish that leaves the audience happy and contented.

A show without dialogue, it is music not speech that animates the central character and the objects that plague him on a daily basis. Whizzes and bangs bring to life the mischievous marigolds and bold banana skins that drive the old man out of his home in search of pastures new. Two of the Little Cauliflower theatre company members have the unenviable task of providing the hour-long backing track which consists of harmonica music interspersed with accordion, banjo and flute playing. They do an excellent job, however, and the music more than compensates for the absence of speech.

Street Dreams may be understated but should not be overlooked; it tells a heart-warming tale that should appeal to all ages.