Meet Fred by Hijinx Theatre. Director: Ben Pettitt-Wade

Derby Studio Theatre Friday 6 March 8pm

Meet Fred, presented at the Derby Studio Theatre on 6 March by Hijinx Theatre on its 10th anniversary tour, is a satirical tour de force in which a two foot puppet becomes not only the star of the production but its storyteller, its protagonist, and its everyman. Rooted in the company’s acclaimed inclusive practice, which foregrounds learningdisabled and autistic artists in both the creative and the performance process, the production has been widely recognised for its sharp political clarity, emotional intelligence, and inventive theatricality, making it immediately clear why a decade of critical praise continues to follow this show wherever it goes.

Set on a stage populated by two movable flight cases and a stepladder propped up against a backdrop of chalk-board flats, completely daubed in text mapping out a life of love, work, struggle, finances and other recognisable day-to-day tropes, we first Meet Fred when he is removed before our eyes from a battered, unceremonious cardboard box with “Fred” written inelegantly across the front in marker pen.

Three puppeteers (Nick Halliwell, Llŷr Williams and Sam Harding) take to the stage and quite literally breathe life into Fred, starting an 85-minute journey which compels and entertains throughout. Fred is a Bunraku puppet made of cloth, operated by three visible puppeteers, and is entirely self-aware. Watching Fred meet his puppeteers and try desperately to physically free himself of them in his opening minutes sets up the meta-world that Hijinx has created here, and it is with fascination, sometimes horror and consistent hope that we watch Fred navigate the life he is seemingly born to present to us.

The show is framed by the presence of The Director (Owen Pugh) who dips in and out of the action to guide, lead and often manipulate Fred, prompting him to show us his story whilst linking the scenes that unfold to the different words on the backdrop. Fred’s story is literally mapped out in front of us in writing, which Pugh interrogates and annotates – ticking off the life events as they happen whilst simultaneously reassuring Fred that he has utter agency. The foreshadowing here is potent; we can already see “rock bottom”, “loss of voice” “no body” and “suicide” on the wall even as Fred is blithely exploring love and finding a job.

Fred takes on different activities – going on a date with a woman named Lucille (Lindsay Spellman) he has found on Tinder (who is very much not OK with him being a puppet) and trying to find a job with Job Centre Adviser Jack (Iwan Jones) who tells him that he is in danger of losing his PLA (Puppetry Living Allowance) if he does not comply with the system. Here the dramaturgy reveals its sharpest edge. Using a puppet who is differently constituted to the humans around him, navigating those barriers that he faces simply by virtue of being a puppet, Fred’s life is a mirror to the challenges faced by so many for whom society is not adequately built, and the story takes a near-tragic turn when Fred struggles to successfully entertain a party of 6-year-olds (a willing, good-humoured burst of audience participation) and so has his PLA withdrawn. This means he can no longer afford one of his puppeteers, and thus loses the functionality of his legs, as the three-person puppet struggles to get by with just four hands.

Fred’s journey of discovery about his own life is punctuated with excellent performances from the adults he shares the stage with. Not only a magnificent Pugh, who at one point absolutely loses it with the puppet he is struggling to control, but with a phenomenal comic performance by Gareth John as Martin, the long-suffering Stage Manager, who tries to become Fred’s legs, but is fired for his efforts.

But it is the virtuosic puppetry that cements this show as the stunning piece of theatre it is. Every nuance, every movement and every motion that Fred makes, is presented with such beauty and precision, we must repeatedly remind ourselves that we are watching a piece of material move around the stage. For a puppet with no frills, (savagely told at one point that he’s only a prototype) no facial features and a bodily form reminiscent of a posable art mannequin, Fred is injected with such personality and charm that it is impossible not to believe every tiny movement as real. The Puppeteers, who have their own scene at one point, while Fred is gently “put down” in a moment of uncomfortable realism, describe themselves as artists, and they are indeed artists at the absolute top of their game, demonstrating agility, stamina and unwavering skill throughout.

The entire creative team must also be given plaudits, from the Puppetry Dramaturgs of Blind Summit (Tom Espiner and Giulia Innocenti), to the production team of Tom Ayres and Ellis Wright Brook, and the composer of Fred’s Theme, Jonathan Dunn, this is a clear team effort. The lighting (Ceri James) is simple but incredibly effective and all those involved in the devising process under the creatively brilliant director Ben Pettitt-Wade, have all played important roles.

This piece of theatre is quite simply incredible. The meta-awareness of the puppet and the immersive world that Hijinx gifts to us, is a perfect vehicle for social commentary and awareness that really makes an audience think, and it is testament to how great the writing and performances are that the show achieves this without ever tipping into preachiness.

This production’s ability to fuse biting social commentary with humour and tenderness, and to present Fred as a figure whose struggle against a failing system resonates with uncommon immediacy is worthy of all praise. If you have the chance to go and see this show on its 10th anniversary tour, I highly recommend you do.