The Doubtful Guest

Welcome to the distinctly weird and rather wonderful world of Edward Gorey. This American illustrator created a Gothic one in which strange things happen to people who are themselves somewhat eccentric.

Take the Bishop family for instance. Wishing to bring their troubles to a wider audience, they have taken to the stage. They are not entirely comfortable there, feeling in particular that we might not wholly grasp the nature of their visual aid, a blackboard, and that the house we can see is merely a model and not their real one.

But above all they are very jumpy – noises disturb them a great deal. This, it transpires, is because of the thing that has moved in with them. This penguin-like creature has wholly disrupted the calm routine of their household. One of its most annoying habits is to fall asleep outside closed doors for days at a time, thus trapping anyone inside the room.

It is portrayed by various members of the family, by a chalk drawing and by a stuffed toy. All of this is performed by Hoipolloi in high style with never a descent to mere realism. Archness is all and the over-emphatic expressionistic playing will not appeal to everyone. Give yourself over to it though and the pedantry of this familial disintigration is very funny indeed.

Then, just when I was beginning to think the joke was becoming a little repetatative, it became clear that the guest has not stayed in the family house but has invaded the very theatre in which we are sitting.

The company's precision physical and vocal playing never drops for an instant. The staging is perfect and when things start to go seriously wrong it gets even better.

If you are on its wavelength then this is a glorious show, the sort that can only be experienced as live theatre.