EDINBURGH 2015 - BWW Reviews: BRUCE, Underbelly Cowgate, August 8 2015

Bruce is the latest creation from the writers behind The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik and It's Dark Outside. In 2013 I saw both of these shows at the Fringe and they both made me cry. Reading the blurb for Bruce, I was pretty certain that this lot were going to rip my heart out a third time.

I mean that in the best possible way, of course. The sheer beauty of Bruce is its simplicity. It is literally a sponge with eyeballs stuck on it, but within a few minutes you become completely invested in the wellbeing of said sponge. The programme describes Bruce as "lo-fi" puppetry but I don't think that conveys how intricate this piece is. The two performers are experts in mime and use the puppet to represent multiple characters.

The script is very clever although it is hard to relay the plot in a review without spoiling it. Bruce is an adventure story with a lot of unexpected twists. It is reminiscent of recent Pixar films but manages to captivate the audience in a lot less time and on a much smaller budget. It is a stunningly beautiful piece of theatre.

Bruce is more uplifting than the other productions from The Last Great Hunt. But it will still make you cry.

Ticket information for Bruce can be found on the edfringe website.

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