Breaking News

The central conceit of this offering from Icelandic company VaVaVoom is immediately apparent from an introduction in which silhouetted domestic scenes are projected onto drawn Venetian blinds. Breaking News explores the dichotomy of life in an age of information where technology and media bring the world closer to us than ever before, yet we continue to experience it in relative isolation. It's also an utterly charming piece of puppet theatre, as we soon discover when a middle blind is raised and we're introduced to a dressing gown engaging in its morning routine.

Our faceless protagonist is seen browsing the internet, reading a paper and tuning the kitchen radio to a current affairs program, before finally turning to television for images of disaster and suffering. When these news broadcasts simultaneously end, the character is left lifeless and dejected. Although prone to getting caught up in the pacifying distraction of sport, the gown is clearly addicted to hard-hitting headlines. As reports of bombings resume, it embarks on a fantastic journey involving a pop-up cityscape that's astonishing in its beauty and detail.

The deft touch with which S. Sunna Reynisdottir and Irena Stratieva manipulate their shared piece of fabric is crucial to the show's success. Their graceful, choreographed movements allow its star to display the body language of both a concerned humanitarian and jaded news anchor, while imbuing the second act with melancholic elegance.

Breaking News may not have anything particularly original to say, but it can't be faulted as an exercise in form.