If you’ve ever wondered where hiccups come from, Free Roam Theatre’s dark Derbyshire folk tale is here to enlighten – and terrify – you.
The people of Grendel village have always respected the forest spirit Tom Hiccup so they’ll be left alone, since there’s dire consequences for angering him. As our mushroom-picking storyteller explains, one man discovered this to his peril.
Written by emerging playwright Charlotte Ball and performed by her sister Ellie, it’s compelling from start to finish. With minimal props and lighting, Ellie evokes drunken pub patrons, swaggering villains and innocent maidens with excellent physical acting. Her prose is beautiful and evocative, painting a rich picture of the forbidden edges of the forest, gruesome acts of violence and Nature’s way of taking revenge.
The killings are done with such gusto, some of the audience members nearby nearly jumped out of their seats! Victim Joanne, represented by a sunflower and later by a woollen shawl, is sensitively and hauntingly portrayed; a folk music soundtrack adds to the unsettling atmosphere. With a single expression, Ellie had the audience rapt until the very end- and that’s the sign of great storytelling skill.
Tom Hiccup’s Well is a dark lunchtime treat that takes aim at the patriarchy with a distinctly folksy flavour.
*****