Finkelstein's Castle, Pavilion Theatre, Brighton, May 12 and 13 (From The Argus)

Finkelstein's Castle, Pavilion Theatre, Brighton, May 12 and 13

11:29am Wednesday 13th May 2009 in Stage By Emily-Ann Elliott

Taking to the stage with just a powerful voice and a cello is no easy feat.

But although Matthew Sharp is alone on stage for the duration of his performance, he squeezes a lot of characters and action into this one-man show.

Part storytelling, part opera and with a generous helping of music, the show begins well with a singing telegram announcing that Sharp’s friend Johnny is in danger.

He sets off to Finkelstein’s Castle to find him, passing through the half-submerged Scottish town of Gallumphing-on-Twee on route.

Sharp has a strong singing voice and a penchant for accents and he makes full use of both, moving the story forward with a selection of characters which could draw comparisons to the League Of Gentlemen and a number of operatic pieces.

The storyline veers into the realms of fantasy with a magic book, ghouls and a sea beneath the sea.

This sequel to Johnny’s Midnight Goggles, which made an appearance at last year’s festival, describes itself as a “whodunnit”, but due to the speed of the piece it doesn't really leave much time for the audience to try to solve any mystery.

While the storyline wasn’t really my cup of tea, there is no denying the cleverness of this performance.