I’d never heard of the acclaimed novel, The House with Chicken Legs, by Sophie Anderson, but wish I had before now. The book, based on Slavic folklore has been adapted for the stage into an original, magical and moving production by Oliver Lansley.
Marinka, a 12 year old orphan, dreams of a normal life, where she can stay somewhere long enough to make friends; but there is one problem – her house has chicken legs and moves on without warning. This is because the house belongs to her grandmother, Baba Yaga, and her job is to guide spirits from this world to the next. Marinka longs to change her destiny and break free from the expectation that she must follow in her grandmother’s footsteps, the house however has other ideas.
It is difficult to explain exactly how lively and fun this production is as the story is told through a fantastical blend of live music, striking puppetry, amazing lighting and a sprinkle of magic to immerse you in this Yaga world of spirits and secrets.
The cast is led by Eve De Leon Allen as ‘Marinka’. They are joined by Lisa Howard as ‘Baba’, David Fallon as ‘Ben’; Matthew Burns as ‘Jackdaw’; Keshini Misha as ‘Nina’ and Pérola Congo as ‘Yaga’.
Before the performance starts, Marinka and Jackdaw are playing like children do on the stage as you take your seat. It is a delightful warm-up act. The lights then dim and the story begins.
The opening scene is typical of any household with the grandmother, Baba, shouting to the granddaughter, Marinka, to help in the kitchen in preparation for the evening’s special party. However, we discover it is no ordinary house-party but a gathering to help the dead move through the door to the next part of their journey to complete the universal cycle.
The actors were multi-skilled and multi-talented – they sang, acted, danced and played a variety of instruments brilliantly as well as doing their bit to effortlessly move the remarkable stage set around.
It was incredibly emotional when Ben, the lanky teenager – and star of the show for me – and Marinka were singing about how they both felt like the odd one out until they met each other.
Another heart warming section was when Marinka and Nina went on a trip to the seaside but I won’t spoil the plot by saying any more.
I absolutely loved the concept that each Yaga’s house is a living, breathing entity connected to all others. One of the beautiful messages that comes through loud and clear is when you truly love somebody, you literally would go to the ends of the Earth for them, without hesitation.
The subtle puppetry blended very well into the overall theatrical performance. After a while, a bit like “War Horse”, you completely forget the jackdaw is a puppet and there’s a great conversation between Jack and Ben towards the end that made me laugh.
The stage setting was incredibly imaginative so it was perfectly believable you were inside or outside the house, on a beach or looking up at the starry sky. Full marks to the creative team as well as all of the actors.
Very sad in parts and thought provoking in others but before you knew it, there was a clever ditty to sing, laugh and clap along to.
The lighting, especially in the final scenes, was really cool. There are a few elements that reminded me of the cartoon Monty Python sketches but in a very good way.
Some of the acting was so tender that it really did feel like full-on proper life. You know the moment when you meet somebody that you fancy but don’t quite know what to do – well that.
My favourite section of all was the house music dance and song as all the chicken leg houses ran across the desert. It was crackers and brilliantly funny all at the same time – a sight to behold.
Yaga’s Day of the Dead party was great fun. She was talented and sassy but was also very kind and supportive to Marinka – a perfect friend to have.
It is the first time I’ve been to the HOME theatre and it is very intimate. The seats are a little squashed together and in this production there is quite a lot of dry ice and some bright lighting. Don’t let it put you off but just be prepared.
The performance begins at 7pm and not the usual 7:30pm so don’t be caught out by the early start.
The production opened at HOME, Manchester on 29 March and runs until 23 April 2022. It really is a feel good uplifting romp so I’m very tempted to see it again. It gets five stars for me and if you go with an open mind, I’m pretty sure you will thoroughly enjoy it.
