In true Fringe fashion, there will always be a heavy level of experimentation in theatre; sometimes this will work out in an outlandishly new and brilliant piece of theatre, at other times it can leave an audience somewhat bemused and a little lost.
The Last Fairytale falls into this second category, as although the play is enjoyable, the premise did not become properly clear until nearly a third of the way through the production. That this was always the intention was clear, however it doesn't alter the fact that the beginning is simply not clear enough, leaving the audience feeling left out of the loop.
As a staged piece, Atlas Theatre ought to be rightly proud, as the stage as a puppet theatre is a novel concept and the two actors work very hard to mimic being suspended from strings above them. The breaking of the piece into story segments also helps, but had there been more linearity, the meaning would have been truer and the clowning compère would not have been needed for so much exposition.
It's a good indication of a company that has a lot of talent and potential and will no doubt surprise with their innovation in the future.