Albert Lamorisse’s Oscar-winning 1956 film set in Ménilmontant in the 20th arrondissement of Paris is a wonderful near wordless film about a wee boy’s relationship with a magical red balloon that befriends him when it appears that no one else will. It was successful at the time of its release but is now a poignant evocation of a lost time and of a lost area of Paris. The idea of a stage version of the beautiful 20th century fairy tale was too tempting to miss.
The three performers, dressed in pale grey sweat tops and trackie bottoms that tip a nod to the clothes Pascal Lamorisse (the director’s son who played the leading role) wore in the film, sit in various states of boredom. Accordion music played to set the Parisian tone, though it is a pity the charming and haunting original music by Maurice Le Roux was not used instead. Copyright issues? Who knows?
The synopsis was narrated in rhyme and any French used was immediately translated to English by another cast member and accompanied by some mild gymnastics by the three young Fringe novices on the tiny stage.
The company, in paying tribute to this classic piece of French cinema that they have clearly seen, have taken liberties with the story in a way that shifts it enough to lose the poignant charm of the Lamorrisse original.
It is over imbued with Englishness with being one minute led through the cobbled streets of Paris and the next we are being told about soggy semolina for dinner, hot cross buns and singing C. of E. hymns at a Catholic church.
More important than these details is the making the Pascal character a méchant by his stealing a bike to get to church and nicking pastries.
This is artistic licence, but is out of character for the Boy. They missed the issue of the Boy’s loneliness and the ‘sword’ fight with his naughty cousin held none of the menace of a mischievous gang chasing one wee boy to wrest his balloon from him.
The film’s glorious ending of Pascal being carried off into the sky by a giant cluster of balloons of every colour is physically and technically out of the question but a repetition of three balloons as the French flag that features could have been managed, as would the Balloon admiring itself in a mirror in the market scene. The hissing mid singing to represent an old record on a gramophone playing Piaf was a nice touch that was likely lost on the young audience.
As a standalone piece of kids’ physical theatre it is well performed and engaging, but strayed too far from the original text that inspired the show to create real magic.
The balloon wasn’t even maroon! This is Smash Productions’ first time at the Fringe. Their programme has been attractively and clearly produced with an eye catching balloon/Eiffel tower motif.
They have had a promising, assured start, playing with cheerful energy to a Pleasance Below packed house that clapped with enthusiasm and joined in when the Balloon strayed. Nae luck they got an aficionada of Le Ballon Rouge as a reviewer!
Show times
4-12 August, 12:40
Tickets
£8 (£7) weekends, £7 (£6) other days.