Review: Dream Space, Fringe 2025

The Korean Creative Group SSAK presents Dream Space, a puppet show billed as a three-part journey into imagination.

Suitable for ages five and up, it’s a show that walks a fine line: captivating young audiences without being too simplistic for those on the verge of teenage eye-rolls. For the most part, the children in the audience, who made up the bulk of the crowd, were thoroughly engaged, a testament to the show’s ability to hold their attention through its unique brand of visual storytelling.

A Demonstration of Visual Storytelling

Dream Space begins not with puppets, but with the audience. The performers parade through the space with kazoos and bubbles, getting everyone involved in an interactive preamble. A large blue cloth becomes the sea, with children and a few brave parents running back and forth underneath, setting a playful and immersive tone. It’s a clever way to draw the audience in, though the success of this depends on the kids being neither too young to grasp the fun nor too old to find it ‘uncool.’ For this child-free reviewer, it was a charming if slightly overlong piece of audience participation.

The puppetry itself is the star of the show. The first part features simple, yet effective hand puppets – cloth draped over hands with googly eyes – that represent bickering spirits guarding a coastal town. This is followed by a more complex scene with puppeteers in ornate gloves and cloud masks, personifying the weather in a symbolic struggle against the spirits. The most impressive act, and perhaps the highlight, is the third part, which features a large, majestic whale puppet and a sea nymph. The precision and artistry with which the two puppeteers manipulate these characters is truly remarkable.

The Power of Puppetry

Dream Space is not just a collection of clever tricks and beautiful puppets; it’s a poignant and meaningful piece of art. The show’s creator, Jin-young Son, was inspired to create the work in the wake of the 2014 Sewol ferry tragedy, aiming to bring hope and healing to family audiences. This context adds a beautiful layer of depth to the production, particularly in the section with the humanoid sea nymph (let’s hope the humanoid shape under the water was a living supernatural being anyway – it’s darker otherwise) and the whale. While the show’s narrative might resonate more deeply with an audience familiar with the cultural and environmental context of tsunamis and high tides, the themes of hope, resilience, and connection are universal.

The puppetry is, without a doubt, the most impressive element. The artistry on display, from the simplest hand puppets to the grand scale of the whale, is a visual treat. The final scene, in particular, with its beautifully articulated movements, is a moment of pure magic. Though the venue’s seating in The Crate at Assembly George Square can be a bit challenging – you might be too close for comfort in the front or too far back to fully appreciate the detail – the quality of the performance shines through.

Overall

Dream Space is a beautifully crafted puppet show that, while perhaps a bit lengthy for some younger viewers, offers a magical and thoughtful experience. The audience interaction is a fun start, and the puppetry itself is of an exceptionally high standard. It’s a show that proves puppetry isn’t just for kids, offering adults a chance to reconnect with a sense of childhood wonder.