“Small is beautiful,” according to economist E F Schumacher, and indeed the inside of a traditional suitcase can be a beautiful vehicle for small stories. Freda O’Byrne’s suitcase tale of Nosferatu is simplicity itself. What elevates the tale is the original music by John Moore. It is perfect for setting the atmosphere and tone when all other elements are pared back to basics.
Hand-sized wooden shapes represent people and houses, lolly sticks form fences, decorative bows are vultures/bats/birds of prey or even fairies, depending on your own imagination. It is a tiny sprinkling of old-fashioned, gentle, three-dimensional storytelling with a real human-being behind it rather than AI. In this era of computerisation, it is a welcome retreat into what makes us human.
Aimed at children and those suffering from dementia, O’Byrne offers a range of stories for different ages.
This show is just under an hour in duration and the young audience is invited to come close and pick up the set, explore how it is made etc. This, in itself, can inspire them to recreate their own worlds and their own stories at home. I am reminded of the Brontës and their tiny books written as children about the world of their brother’s toy soldiers. Novelty and demonstration are the magic wand for sparking creativity and who knows where that creativity might end?
I wanted one more “set” to be revealed at the bottom of the suitcase: the interior of Nosferatu’s dining room, dark and menacing. I wanted a clearer, more defined conclusion. I wanted more. That’s not to say the detail wasn’t there. Nosferatu’s coffin even had dirt in it. I wanted more because it was entrancing.
The presentation was well considered. The vocal sound effects were spot on and the introduction about the German film and its history was new to me. The closing invitation to explore interactively is both educational and potentially inspiring.
Reviewer: Katleen Mansfield
Reviewed: 1st November 2025
North West End UK Rating:
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