Review: The Librarians, 26 July, UEA Drama Studio

From a librarian who’s gotten a taste for the books to a monster who gotten a taste for The Librarians, this show has everything to whet the appetite of even the most discerning Fringe-goer.

Minotaur Theatre Company makes an impressive return to the Edinburgh Fringe this year with their macabre comedy, The Librarians.

On Friday 26^th July The Tab caught a preview performance at the UEA Drama Studio, where we were transported to the peculiar world of The Lionel Thinderghast Library… a place where all daylight has been shut out and where no reader dares to tread. As a result, the little cluster of characters that staff the library have gone quite mad.

The story follows the bastardly protagonist, Mandrake Hardbach (played by Harry Denniston.) Haunted each night by the ominous Grim Reader, and a bloodthirsty ambition, Hardbach makes it his mission to obtain the grand title of Chief Librarian… If he had his way, the books would be the first thing to go. But first he must dispose of the current Chief Librarian; the completely insane and seemingly immortal Goshby Burbage (played by Michael Clarke.) Along the way he runs into trouble with the increasingly suspicious Barbara ‘Babs’ LeBarbara, trying to crack the case of the murdered librarians, and he makes an unlikely ally of the deceptively sweet Erlizabeth Satz. As the mysteries of The Lionel Thinderghast Library unravel, however, it becomes evident that stranger things are afoot…

Based on an original story from director Lewis Garvey, The Librarians has been a collaborative effort between Garvey, assistant-director Martha Geelan and the fantastically funny cast. As a result, the show is wonderfully inventive and original, but at the same time bares all the traits of Garvey’s distinctly colourful and madcap style. As well as impressive performances from Clarke and Denniston, the story is packed with an array of bizarre characters, from the disturbed Luxus Bulge, who suffers from ‘Library Avoidance Syndrome’ to the incompetent clairvoyant Margot Murkintosh, who makes a devastating prediction on the fate of the library. Every character is so well thought out and so wonderfully acted it’s a shame that we only get such a small taste of some of them. But the story itself is so gripping and bizarre, and Hardbach is such a delightful bastard of a protagonist, it’s difficult not to get lost in the world that the cast create.

The style of the piece is incredibly bold and almost cartoonish, with fantastic costumes, a simple but versatile set, some surprising puppetry, and a montage to rival Rocky. Overall, The Librarians is a very charming and compelling story with some grisly murders and catchy tunes. It’s beautifully funny, bleak and bizarre… and extremely gripping! We can’t wait to see it on its feet at the Fringe. If you go to Edinburgh this August, definitely catch this show!

Minotaur Theatre Company are performing ‘The Librarians’ at the Edinburgh Fringe from the 2^nd to the 17^th August at TheSPACE on Northbridge

For more info, visit the Librarians at www.facebook.com/minotaurlibrarians or follow the show on Twitter @minotaurfringe