The Crate at Assembly George Square is a small and intimate venue. A shipping container turned into a black box studio theatre especially for the world-renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival and it suits this production of ‘Dream Space’ perfectly.

The piece begins with the performers tooting kazoos and blowing bubbles, easing us into the language and style of the show and encouraging us to suspend our disbelief with the help of a bubble gun and a large blue sea cloth.

The use of percussion instruments, purpose-built props and stitched puppets throughout the show gives it a very handmade and heart-warming feel.

The first story was a little slow in pace and, whilst they made good use of a creative concept using their fists (some googly eyes and a cloth to make a basic but effective puppet) it set the show off on a slightly slow start.

However the second story, which focuses on two hairy castaways on a desert island, lifted the mood and the narrative here was easy to follow with a good moral that greed does not pay. There were some very funny moments in this parable and the puppeteers showed exquisite comedy timing.

The final story showcased fabulous puppetry skills, with two of the cast operating one small rod puppet, whilst others manipulated whale puppets adorned with glistening lights with excellent dexterity.

Overall, ‘Dream Space’ is a sweet and endearing gem of show and well worth a watch. Magical, humorous and enchanting.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐