Ubu, the witch who would be rich

In theory, the idea of combining theatre of the absurd and juvenile fiction has potential. Lack of logical connection between events, irrational behaviour, violence, and cruel humour - all these things we recognize in children's own play. Mary Melfi has taken the elements of absurdist theatre (The "Ubu" of the title tips us off, and she drops in a reference to the "Isle of Jarry" in case we missed it) and applied them to a kind of fractured fairy tale about a young witch, an apprentice from a poor family, who wants to be rich. In lieu of plot we are given a melange of loosely linked scenes as Ubu attempts to make money, Ubu baby - sits a crocodile, Ubu searches for the Philosopher's Stone. In lieu of character we are given either icons, like the glamorous rock star, or creatures with a single odd attribute, like the bird - child with a rainbow tail. The voice is cynical and the tone highly self - conscious.