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Reviewed by Ronnie Haydon in Time Out
The teller of tales with the unusual moniker is a large-nosed puppet, who leans
companionably on his windowsill while he holds forth. Thurtinkle is a congenial
host with a ready wit. His sidekick is an amiable woman in a silly hat called
Rachel, whose warm, chatty style and prowess on the melodeon earns her the unalloyed
devotion most under eights reserve for their teachers. Thurtinkle's enormous nose
is the subject of his first story, in which we learn that he comes from a country
populated by people equally over endowed in the conk department. Oddly enough,
this is the story with the least laughs; but it does lay down a hugely enjoyable
pattern of audience participation.
The tales that follow introduce other characters who pop up from Thurtinkle's
tiny house, where puppeteer Adam is secreted presumably half-stifled; although
you wouldn't know it from the diverse repertoire of daft voices he uses for
his cast. The funniest story Rachel and Thurtinkle tell between them is about
two dastardly robbers (glove puppets wearing tiny black masks) who have designs
on the King's magic glass cupboard (which gives people their hearts desire,
as long as they're prepared to put something back). Greed hastens the criminals'
downfall and they shatter the beautiful cupboard, which appalling crime sends
the audience into a shocked, self-righteous silence. So caught up in the story
were my young companions that they were still chuntering about such wanton vandalism
by the puppet baddies as they walked out of this clearly pleasing hour-long
show for four-to-eight-year-olds by Dynamic New Animation.
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