“This is going to be better than Netflix.”
A bold claim made at the beginning of what would turn out to be a rather eventful night of stories. Chris seemed to pluck this set out of the very air and put them on display with all the twists and turns of the latest Netflix anthology series. The whole night was framed by Amina’s story, her search for answers in the castle of truth.
From there Chris took us to different lands and different stories, each interlinked with the next. He wove a tapestry that involved a transparent boy that could not tell lies and a king who insisted that people need lies and stories, a soldier who makes stone soup, a merchant with a barrel full of water and its almost sinister origin, three tailors and an emperor as well as one man’s search for truth up in the mountains.
The second half of the evening took on a different tone, the mirror of the castle of truth pointing at what seemed like our own society. Shining a light on exploitation and a rich man’s failed attempts to bury the truth, this was surprisingly relevant and sombre. It even bled into real life with Chris’ amusingly fruitful search for the ending of this story. All of this culminated in a surprisingly happy ending, with Franz learning that there is hope for the future.
With new stories that shocked and delighted beside well known ones given a fresh coat of paint, this night was certainly a seamless sequence of tales that made you think about your own castle of truth.
What would you see in the mirror?