The Wild Bride: what happens when you do a deal with the devil

The Wild Bride
Kneehigh Theatre
Opera House, Wellington
New Zealand International Arts Festival
Until February 27th
 

While you are a being a victim of genocide, cancer, child abuse, sexual abuse or maiming there is rarely time for reflection and analysis. When you are shrouded in darkness and the horror of the moment you only manage to accept and endure

This is at the heart of The Wild Bride, a fairy tale for children and a cautionary tale for adults. What we call bad luck, fate, chance or unwise decisions all gets dumped on The Devil. It’s him who waits at the crossroads ready to tempt the next unwary traveler with offers of happiness and riches.

This is how The Father gets tricked in to swapping his daughter for a new hat and coat, setting her off on a miserable voyage where every chance hope is dashed. Her hands are chopped off she is twice exiled to the forest and she is continually stalked by The Devil. Salvation does come but it’s a bit unsatisfactory, The Devil just seems to give up and go back to the crossroads.

But this is a show in which the story isn’t really that important. What we have is the opportunity to see some great international talent. These actors deliver remarkable performances as they switch between roles as singers, musicians and dancers.

The Devil (Stuart McLoughlin) is a dab hand with the double bass and Patrycja Kujawska as The Wild Woman plays the violin with a bravura style. Audrey Brisson who plays The Young Girl has an angelic vice.

The whole performance is awash with symbolism and imagery along with the metaphor ridden plot. The central strangled Tree of Life also holds a large convex mirror which reflects the audience back on itself.

Bodies are washed in slime, purified by tears and water, fruit descends unbidden to young girl who also gets crowned with looks like a garland of flowers and thorns. And The Devil decides when wars should occur and intercepts and alters letters when he sees fit.

Stuart McLoughlin as The Devil who has more of the Southern preacher to him creates a suitably slick and insincere character. Stuart Goodwin as the wretched and tragic Father as well as the superficial and comic Prince gives well developed performances and manages a clever transition from Irish to Scots accent.

Each display of virtuoisic playing and dancing throughout the perfoemnce was greeted with spontaneous applause as the audience, yung and old was drawn into this exquisite tale of sadness an djoy