“Immersive, engrossing and enchanting storytelling”
Whether you’re a lover of the comics, a lover of Celtic mythology or just a sucker for storytelling; this is a show to watch!
Jason Buck has a fantastically mischievous nature about him from the moment he walks on stage. With little more than a wave of his hand and the audience was rapt and ready for a story. An excellent use of call and response between teller and audience draws us in quickly and sets up nicely the potential for participation throughout the telling.
There are no changes in lighting, no special effects or distractions in this piece, just the audience and the storyteller, a strangely intimate method of telling a story in the modern age, but very much welcomed. I do wonder if perhaps the audience set-up was a little at odds with the story telling method, I would have very much embraced an ‘in-the-round’ set-up which may have fit to the medium better, leaning more into the stories round the fire style that this draws from.
The retelling of the Celtic myth is all played out in the theatre of the mind, with vivid descriptions verbally painted for us, accent and voice changes to denote each character. I caught myself multiple times leaning in closer during the piece, finding myself deeply engrossed in the story, delighting at the moments of humour and sound effects that Jason himself makes throughout.
With the whole two hours being told by one man, there were moments where Jason seemed to lose his place in the story, but this did not detract from it. Overall, his enthusiasm and momentary nods to the audience on any slip ups or double entendre warmed us further to him as our storyteller. Jason was engaging throughout the piece, his subtle linking of the story to comparisons on how we live in the modern world were a fantastic way of using allegory.
I was amazed as well by how many times I connected tropes of this myth with countless others we hold dear to the British Ilse. Beowulf and King Arthur certainly felt most prevalent in their similarities to Sláine though decidedly less metal, but what do you expect from a Celtic hero?
Ultimately this piece executed exactly what it set out to do; to give us a reimagined retelling of an ancient myth in traditional storytelling methods. I enjoyed every moment from the gruesome creatures to the brave heroes and snivelling rogues. If you’re in the mood for a good story, then this is highly recommended.