Strange Tales
World Premiere: A Grid Iron & Traverse Theatre Company Co-Production
Adapted from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio by Pu Songling by Pauline Lockhart with Ben Harrison
When wind and snow fill the sky and the fire has grown cold, relight the coals, warm the wine and turn up the wick of the lamp. We enter these tales in the shadows of night, but hopefully emerge into daylight.
“Strange Tales offers us a vital glimpse of a different way of thinking about the relationship between the living and the dead… real balm for the soul”
★★★★
The Scotsman
“a dazzling thumb-through of a story-book to savour.”
★★★★
The Herald
“a wintry feast of the uncanny”
★★★★
The Guardian
“There’s a delightful playfulness to this production… the action is cleverly enhanced by puppetry, video and choreographed movement. The sound effects are spectacular, and there’s a little bit of magic or illusion too, with a couple of vanishing acts that genuinely bewilder me. How did they…? Huh?”
★★★★
Bouquets & Brickbats
Written in China centuries ago, Pu Songling’s Strange Tales are now adapted for the stage by the acclaimed immersive theatre company Grid Iron in co-production with the Traverse Theatre.
Filled with intrigue, mysticism, magic, sensuality, and a dash of terror, Strange Tales will draw you into a world full of mischievous fox spirits, yearning ghosts and enchanted swords where anything and everything is possible.
But be warned – unless you come to these tales with an open mind and brave heart, you may never be able to escape them…
This thrilling immersive production uses puppetry, movement and cutting edge digital technology to thrust you right into the pages of the tales themselves. Adapted by Pauline Lockhart and Ben Harrison from a selection of Pu Songling’s original tales, Strange Tales will wrap itself around you and make you shiver in delight and fright on Edinburgh’s dark winter nights.
Dates: Sat 30 Nov – Sat 21 Dec
Venue: Traverse 1
Tickets and more information from: traverse.co.uk
Supporters
Supported by Creative Scotland and the City of Edinburgh Council.
Strange Tales is brought to you in partnership with the Confucius Institute for Scotland. Part of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Chinese Classics Translation Project, funded by Arts Council England.
Development process supported by Puppet Animation Scotland’s Creative Fund.
