JUNE, 3-6 November, The Village Festival, Edinburgh Gardens

What can I say? From start to finish JUNE was a trip. Literally. We were led from the warmth and safety of the Village site, past the Pleasure gateway and through the badlands of Edinburgh Gardens to a creepy trailer park on the outskirts of town. There we encountered a brother and sister held captive by a grumpy two-headed monster that acted as a gatekeeper to some sort of secret realm. The two children feed and amuse the monster, degrading themselves in humiliating rituals and games for the monster’s entertainment.  Then strangers arrived…

Well that’s the particular version I was immersed in anyway. Long after we were released back into the park my whole family (yes family!) were buzzing and trying to describe what we had just seen.  It’s that kind of show: evocative and stimulating.

JUNE was devised and superbly performed by the wonderful Louise Morris, Rebecca Rutter and the group. Full credit goes to the design and production team; I particularly loved the set and costumes: everything white and shiny but crappy and corrupted, disused and broken. The sound designer did an amazing job, combining speech and eerie motifs into an alternately disturbing and creepy and then somehow soothing soundscape –  able to rise above the rather loud  festival sing-along crowds nearby.

JUNE really is the must-see show at the Village. Genuinely original and visually astounding, like a Grimm fairytale. On tonight and tomorrow at the Village, Edinburgh Gardens. Don’t miss it!