EDINBURGH 2023: THE SLIGHTLY ANNOYING ELEPHANT, Debating Hall At Gilded Balloon Teviot

The Slightly Annoying Elephant has been adapted for stage by London's award-winning puppeteers, Little Angel Theatre from the David Walliams book of the same name, illustrated by Tony Ross. The elephant arrives unexpectedly on protagonist Sam’s doorstep creating mayhem in its wake.

Poor Sam becomes overwhelmed by the large, hungry, antique-loving, cycling-enthusiast elephant, who has swindled his way into his home via a dodgy animal adoption contract. What Sam really needs is some kind sole to provide legal guidance like the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977. The action spirals into 40 minutes of increasing misery for Sam.

Unsurprisingly for a company with the experience of the Little Angel Theatre, the elephant puppet is of a high quality. Large and well detailed with an adaptable trunk allowing for flexible movement. Giving the puppeteer, who also voices the animal (and many others) the opportunity to embody the role and stomp about to impress the scale of the giant mammal.

Original songs have been created to add to the action, but ultimately the piece drags and loses pace. The audience fidget and lose interest as the actions of the elephant become increasingly unkind. A section regarding the destruction of Sam's new shiny red bicycle, leaves audience members uncomfortable and twitchy.

Having read the story, it would hugely benefit from an element of accountability and redemption, which unfortunately do not get explored here. Despite the contractual theme present in the piece, it does not feel like enough to have the two main characters, one of whom is the guileless, overwhelmed Sam, who is rushing around trying to appease and shoo away an unwanted elephant and the other who is unpleasant, manipulative and crosses many boundaries that could have brought an important lesson, but never does. It's helpful to care about a character, but as this doesn’t materialise the audience struggles to connect.

With my own child in attendance that enjoys Walliams' books, we wanted and tried to find the best in the piece, but the story feels as though it’s dated and needs a new interpretation, as the messaging throughout for children is unrelenting, negative and overall left us deflated.

The Slightly Annoying Elephant runs until 28 August, at 13:00, for 45 minutes, at the Debating Hall at Gilded Balloon Teviot, 13 Bristo Square, EH8 9AJ.

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