“A Thing Mislaid” by Maison Foo
Djanogly theatre, Lakeside, Nottingham

This short piece of theatre (1 hour 20 minutes) may be short on time but packs in a magical little story. In some ways, it’s good that the show is short, because it’s a very physical show where the actors put a great deal into. I’ve not heard of Maison Foo before but they have a very special way of telling a story on stage. They blend miniature puppetry with clowning as well as live camera work.

“A Thing Mislaid” explores the themes of migration and travelling with hope for a better place as seen by two lonely travellers and a mysterious bird in a box. The subject of the play itself is a serious one but there’s a great deal of humour sewn into this message.

The two characters are running away from someone or something, vague I know but the cause of the fleeing is left for the audience member to work out

Teele Uustani (Flea) and Raquel Pereira (Wanda) play the two travelers and at times these two are reminiscent of comedy silent screen actors like Chaplin or Keaton. The comic timing has been honed well.

The mysterious bird throughout is one that is trying to get back to it’s family, which in one way is what these two are also trying to do. They’re running away from their old home and looking for a new one.

The puppetry and mini camera work, performed by the two actors, remind me slightly of the the old "B Movie" style films and is very atmospheric and adds a great deal to the feel and fear of the play.

The storytelling in this piece of theatre is wonderful.

Written and Directed by Bethany Sheldon and Kathryn Lowe, but the show has also been devised along with the actors.

The set design is by Sam Wilde and the music is composed by Matt Marks.

It's possibly not a show for everyone but for people who like something a bit more experimental and different, then this is one to catch.