At Sea
Alphabetti Theatre | 19th August 2025
Review by Stephen Stokoe
I absolutely love going to Alphabetti Theatre, the quaint arts venue just over the Redheugh Bridge in Newcastle because I never really know what I am going to encounter either before the show begins in the welcoming bar area or once the doors have opening into the magical world that is the intimate performance space beyond. Today’s experience was novel for two reasons. Firstly the clientele was a lot shorter than the usual audience but also how the auditorium was configured – but more about that in a little while.
The reason the audience was so diminutive was because Alphabetti playing host to those innovative folk at Life and Limb Puppets with their latest production following last year’s critically acclaimed ‘Dragon’. This year we venture way out into the deep, deep ocean in ‘At Sea’.
Alphabetti is not just about performances. They have some great activities for the young and more mature minds alike and it was a pleasure to see the kids drawing, creating and generally enjoying themselves on arrival this afternoon. It is well worth keeping an eye on ‘Betti’s website for all whole range of activities that are available. There is sure to be something for everyone.
As the lights dimmed, Will Steele the Life and Limb Puppets Artistic Director offered a prologue which was informative and largely directed at the children who were, by and large, sitting at the front on a delightfully colourful array of soft furnishings. I was offered my own plush but preferred to perch further back in the darkness. The difference in the layout of the auditorium was that it had been turned 90 degrees from what I am used to seeing at Alphabetti. This made the whole area seem relatively enormous and certainly helped the idea that we were all lost at sea. The customary “no phones or flash photography” announcement was very clever and had me chuckling away even before the story started.
As the action begins we are introduced to a sailor on the most adorable boat. There is no dialogue just a series of noises which more than suggest what our seafaring adventurer is up to. He is visited by a very pesky seagull on a number of occasions and various items float his way during his adventures and help the story along. The music is beautifully matched to the storyline and the sound effects ring out with clarity and pin point timing adding to the wonder of the piece.
I have since read the synopsis for this delightful puppet and animation show and it is perfectly accurate but there is something magical about the story which allows the viewer to explore this adventure with the sailor-cum-diver and make their own mind up about what is happening around them.
The puppeteers of which there are three do not remain at arms length. They come out from behind to bring a new dimension to the piece which give a further impression of being immersed out at sea with the sailor, gulls and other wordly beings as the story progresses.
I make a habit of not looking up events and synopses at Alphabetti before attending them so that I can cast a fresh view on what I am experiencing. I found that particularly useful today because at various times, the story had me thinking of how this fable of a lost soul could be used for educational purposes and cross curricular activities. I think I gave up at around five or six possibilities – I have no doubt that there are more. For example, there is the folklore and fantastical elements. We have some sirens of the sea, the beauteous creatures who sing sailors to their deaths and the many tentacled Leviathan which could introduce youngsters to mythical beasts and other legends of the deep. I thought there was imagery within the narrative that could champion ecological issues such as protecting and conserving wildlife in their natural habitats. Finally and the one that remained with me was an allegorical exploration of being lost, of mental health struggles, of creating monsters and enemies in one’s own mind but ultimately overcoming those challenges leaving a sense of hope and understanding.
For those who just want a ripping yarn full of adventure and peril, then that is there too. I found the whole thing thoroughly absorbing. It is not really designed for me but observing the much younger members of the audience, they were as transfixed by the delightfully melodic musical interludes, the beautifully presented animations and exquisitely designed puppets as I was.
Director, Will Steele advised the audience that following this run at Alphabetti Theatre, the show will travel to be further developed in conjunction with National Theatre and I wish him and his magnificent puppeteers well with this mesmerising and carefully crafted theatrical gem and I hope that I see our intrepid diver/sailor and his pesky seagull friend again soon.