The Infant @ The Lowry

Just went to see the latest production by Les Enfants Terribles Theatre Company 'The Infant'. After being impressed having watched previous productions by the company; 'The Terrible Infants' and 'Ernest and The Pale Moon' my expectations were incredibly high of Oliver Lansley's latest instalment. The production did not disappoint in the slightest. The play was just as dark, macabre and twisted as the companies previous efforts.  

The production starts with a masked man sitting in the dark tied to a chair. It quickly becomes apparent that this is an interrogation room and the masked man has been taken in for question regarding a matter of national security. A drawing has been found that spells the end of civilisation and holds the blue prints to destroy the world as we know it. 


Tea sipping interrogators Cascadus and Samedi want the truth and set about questioning the man looking for answers. The man claims that his 4 year old son drew the picture. So the interrogators  call upon the man's wife for answers. She claims that her son couldn't possibly have drawn the picture and accuses her husband of plotting the whole thing. Who's telling the truth and does the truth really matter? With more twists and turns than a helter skelter, Lansley serves up an extremely clever piece of writing and stunningly subversive piece of theatre. 


The production was really well paced and the sharp snappy dialogue helped drive this comic satire. Technically the production was also brilliant and the Actors performances were phenomenal. A creepy soundtrack set up an eerie atmosphere in transitions and created tension at the beginning of the play. A simple set on rollers, moved brilliantly to set up the different interrogation rooms was really effective and demonstrates that sometimes in theatre less is more. Well-done Terrible Enfants I was blown away and will definatley recommend the show to anyone I know who is going to Edinburgh where the tour of 'The Infant' will take residence for the festival.