REVIEW: Toto Kerblammo! (Unicorn Theatre)

Content warning: Toto Kerblammo! includes themes of grief, neglect, mental health issues and removal from the care of a parent. It is aimed at ages 9+ but could hit quite close to home for children with personal experience of these topics.

Award-winning, experimental playwright Tim Crouch (Beginners;  I, Cinna (the Poet)) returns to The Unicorn Theatre with a new production for ages 9+. Featuring binaural technology, the production places a focus on the evocative power of sound to tell a moving story about love and loss.

The show focuses on 12 year old Effy (Peyvand Sadeghian), following a traumatic event that results in her being removed from the care of her Mum.  Effy would be lost without her loyal dog, Toto (Felipe Pacheco) but she has to move into a dog-free building with her Aunt (voiced by Madeline Appiah) and Uncle (voiced by Nick Holder).  Unable to part from her canine companion, Effy smuggles him into the home. But she can’t keep a dog hidden in a small flat for very long, and soon Effy is forced into a big decision with catastrophic consequences.

We first meet Effy and Toto in the aftermath of this accident, and it soon becomes apparent that much of the action is taking place inside Effy’s unconscious mind. We hear everything going on around her as she lies in a hospital bed, including her innermost thoughts as she struggles to process the events that led her here. Flashing back and forth in time, we start to piece together the different strands of the story as Effy begins to confront the truth about what happened on that fateful night.

Brilliantly directed by its writer, the play effectively uses the binaural technology to enhance the storytelling (with sound design by Helen Skiera). The use of headphones here is no gimmick, creating an intimate experience of being inside Effy’s head. While there is live action in front of us, only two actors perform on stage, with the remainder featuring in voice only. It’s a really effective way of getting the audience to listen deeply, taking in the rich tapestry of sounds that amplify Crouch’s excellent script. And although sound may be the star, Will Monk’s sharp lighting and Lily Arnold’s stark set design further heighten our senses.

Aimed at the difficult 9+ demographic, it’s a challenging play for those at the younger end of the scale but offers plenty of scope for subsequent discussion (after the post-show stunned silence has worn off). Quaver (11) got the gist of the story, but did struggle a little with the non-linear aspect and required a bit of exposition around the events leading to Effy’s mother ending up in a secure hospital. But she was completely capable of grasping these concepts when they were explained to her and did not find them too much, despite the storyline hitting quite close to home for a formerly fostered child. In fact, it was a good opportunity to draw parallels with her own life experience.

This is a production that treats its young audience with the utmost respect, trusting them to tackle some sensitive topics. After all, like Effy, many children will experience extreme hardships in their lives. They cannot shy away from the difficult things that life can throw at them, and nor should their peers. All children deserve to see and hear nuanced stories like Effy’s; messy stories featuring flawed characters who don’t suddenly get a sickly sweet ending, but leave us with a sense of hope for the future. This is more than just another story for children featuring a dog (because who doesn’t like a story with a furry sidekick?) It may start that way, but listening deeply teaches us that human connection is truly what matters.

Overall, Toto Kerblammo! is an innovative and deeply moving piece of theatre that pushes the boundaries of what theatre for young audiences can – and should – be. Effy’s is a story that deserves not just to be heard, but to be listened to deeply.

Toto Kerblammo! plays at the Unicorn Theatre from 6 October to 3 November 2024. We received complimentary tickets to the 11.30am performance on 20 October.