Tuesday 11 October 2022

TATTLE TALES - Theatre Review

 WHAT: Tattle Tales

WHEN: 7 - 15 October 2022

WHERE: Bard's Apothecary

CREATED & PERFORMED BY: Davey Seagle

LIGHTING & SOUND BY: Sophie Parker

COSTUMES BY: Alloquois Callaway-Hoilman

STAGE MANAGED BY: Natalie Baghoumian

Davey Seagle - photo by Aaron Cornelius

The mysterious, the arcane, the magical - Melbournians love this stuff. We also love improvisation and games and storytelling in all it's different forms. This year's Melbourne Fringe Festival entry, Tattle Tales brings all of this and more as Davey Seagle draws us in to a den of secrets and sorcery at Bard's Apothecary.

Tattle Tales is an interactive event which celebrates the ancient tradition of people gathering and sharing stories. The venue, Bard's Apothecary, is perfect pre-performance framing and allows you to grab your mead of choice before you descend a narrow staircase into a cavern below, gently lit with fairy lights. Ambient music fills the room. Sitting quietly, directly ahead, is Seagle with archaic face markings, a necklace made of bones, and a table covered in mystical items and incense. Settle in and immerse yourself in the world about to be created.

Seagle is the guide for the evening's adventures, but the audience are the actors. Audience members are selected to pick cards from a Tarot deck and from here they are invited to fill out the details of who they are. All choices and guidance in Tattle Tales come from the Tarot and the participants gradually fill out details such as the composition, technology level, and items in the world they are about to create. From these decisions the story of the night emerges.

I am not going to talk much more about the show because it will be yours to develop. Suffice to say I ended the evening as a lichen covered tree with a bouquet of Frangipani growing painfully out of my neck. Karma! One thing I will say is that Sophie Parker's music completely sets the mood and changes the mood at a whim and keeps us enveloped in the world we are creating adding tension and beauty to every moment. 

Seagle's deep, sonorous vocal tone also draws us into the story and keeps us entranced. He acts as guide, master of ceremonies, and guardian of us and the story throughout the evening. This is a safe space regardless of the cliffs you may choose to jump off.

If you are the kind of person who likes games like 'Murder' you will love Tattle Tales. My only criticism is that the experience can slow down a bit too much if decisions are made too slowly. On the night I went we were grouped which meant we had to consult with each other about decisions which really interrupted the rhythm of the story telling. Quick, brave decisions would make this show a truly out of this world experience.

3.5 Stars


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