Dark Tales Reviews

Islington Gazette

WALKING up the stairs to the theatre from The Lion and Unicorn pub is a brilliant introduction to this play. The cast are littered along the way, scowling, drinking and knitting. As they usher you in, you genuinely feel like you're in some bawdy 19th century drinking den, albeit with complimentary olives.

by Chris Bearne

It's good to look forward to a show, have some preconceptions and find them subverted. Dark Tales is like that. Yes, we all think we know the Hans Christian Andersen stories; we all think we've got a grown-up take on the post-Freudian dark side of fairy tales, the metaphorical induction of the child into the harsh realities of adulthood.

by Catherine Usher

The surroundings can frequently be rather sparse in fringe theatre, so the effort that Giant Olive goes to for the audience’s comfort in this instance is especially welcome. All the chairs have cushions scattered on them and tea lights adorn the tables, casting a pretty glow on to the stage.

Review by Kevin Quarmby (2009)

There is every good reason to travel to Kentish Town these days, not least to visit the remarkable theatre space above the Lion and Unicorn. The resident company, Giant Olive, have decided to make this venue its own. Dark Tales, a selection of famous and not-so-famous tales by the Danish writer, Hans Christian Andersen, is their latest venture. Hans Christian Andersen? Fairy Tales? Surely that’s going to be a kid’s show? Oh, how very very wrong can one be.