The House – Traverse Theatre

The House is a fantastic little puppet world centered on the Warehouse Family Funeral Home. This particular cremation business is burning the midnight oil to please a manipulative, greedy woman. It is chillingly superb. The set is clever, revealing room upon room where unspeakable deeds are carried out.

On her deathbed, the undertaker, Mrs Esperanza, changes her will which does not please some. And so begins the shenanigans of hidden identities, lost souls and nonsensical goings on with open and closing doors offering just one more opportunity for farcical fun. 

This magnificently bizarre horror story made me smile from ear to ear. It’s surreal, funny and enticing. Sofie Krog and her talented partner, David Faraco, clearly love their jobs and, as a result, they are master craftsmen and women, bringing little stick figures fully to life. They can manipulate those puppets to have you totally enraptured. The hour-long show is witty, enticing and unexpected.

The set is terrific and each puppet stunningly effective at acting out their own particular criminal act. It is a horror story for teenagers and above. And it is the perfect antidote to the usual teenage rejection of silliness. It is so uncool; it is the ultimate in cool. 

The music and sound effects are ideal, adding to the atmosphere of heightened melodrama. Hailing from Denmark and Spain, this is a collaboration to keep your eye on, so you don’t miss more of their madcap capers in miniature.

Reviewer: Kathleen Mansfield 

Reviewed: 3rd February 2024

North West End UK Rating: