It Folds

Peacock Theatre

****

As Kevin’s ghost tells the audience about the parish priest stripping down in front of the altar boys in the sacristy after Mass, it seems like a return to furtive dark secrets within the church. But whimsy soon blows in, with a hilarious account of how Kevin’s bell-ringing delays the arrival of the Holy Spirit at consecration. Although the jigsaw is never fully complete, the dark tragedy of the boy’s abduction slowly emerges through set-pieces using movement, text and impressive three-part singing. The large cast, assembled by open call just weeks ago, finds the right pitch as proceedings flip-flop between the graveside laments and lighter set-ups, such as the distraught parent’s visit to a dodgy psychic in an attempt to find his body. The dramatic rhythm isn’t always even and some gags, like the pantomime horse, are a little forced, but the creators and performers provide plenty of rich theatrical pickings.