From graceful courting swans, colourful dancing bears, swimming sea creatures to The Three Little Pigs, it was incredible to watch as skilfully formed images rolled like a film show.

This spellbinding show of hand-shadow puppetry, ‘shadowgraphy’ was devised and performed by Drew Colby.

Using a screen on to which he projected his hand shadows, Colby created his small fables with incredible visual imagery.

Mainly self-taught, and having explored how he could utilise everyday objects, such as a jar that becomes a snail, or some string that suffices as reins for a camel rider, Colby’s apparatus were few and simple –one or two objects or a filter over his spotlight.

However, his hand-formed ‘instant puppetry’ was flawless and varied. Colby also verbally produced most of the sound effects with his voice or mouth organ.

This fast-paced and magical Fingers And Thumb production, had children in fits of laughter as the characters’ personalities came to life – such as the mocking Boy Who Cried Wolf, who gets his comeuppance or the old lady of There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly, who grumpily kept chastising her giggling audience with: “It’s still not funny”.

A truly awe- inspiring performance.

Five stars