In a tent on the grass by Symposium Hall, decorated with ivy leaves and fairy lights, BoxedIn Theatre create a world of childhood beliefs and coming of age reality.
To the Ocean is a fairytale, but it is not about fairies - it is a magical story, but it is not about magic. ‘Magic isn’t real’, they tell us as soon as we are settled and gentle guitar music begins to permeate the tent. ‘That’s the first thing you should know.’ Indeed, it seems quite an unmagical story, except for the way it is told, like a storybook with wonderfully animated illustrations.
When Grace was five, her mother left. Naturally the little girl could not make any sense of this, so her father told her a story about selkies and the sea, and through this, she was able to move on. But when Grace turns fifteen, her mother’s name appears in the papers and together with her friend Ana, she sets off on an adventure to find her in the city.
BoxedIn create a whole world within their tepee with live music and sound effects to accompany them. This company specialise in site specific theatre, creating an atmosphere that transports their audience into the mindset of the story they are seeing. The cast can be a little hundred-mile-an-hour, but this is endearing of the fact they are telling the story of a young girl in a quest for her long lost mother. Grace Thorner, who plays the lead, handles the central role very well and grounds the story firmly onto a personal level.
It is an hour of wonderful storytelling in an enchanting setting, suitable for all ages – and despite what they say, it seems they have some kind of magic.
Until 19th