Review: Our Cosmic Dust (Park Theatre)

Review by Daz Gale

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What happens to us when we die? A question many of us wonder, and not a statement many would expect to open a review. That is the premise behind Our Cosmic Dust, the three-time award-winning production that is making its English-language debut at Park Theatre. Imagined through the eyes of a child and with a focus on stars, it is a fresh take on a subject that always offers much debate. Would Our Cosmic Dust find an answer in the stars, and how many stars would it be awarded for its attempt?

Our Cosmic Dust is centred around Shotaro, a curious schoolboy who is dealing with his own grief after the loss of his father. Sharing his father’s fascination with the stars, he sets out on an adventure to find him among them. Alarmed to discover her young son has disappeared, his mother, Yoko, searched for him, following breadcrumbs he leaves behind in the form of other characters he has met, each with their own theories on what happens when we die and their own personal reasons for wanting to find out.

Written by Michinari Ozawa, Our Cosmic Dust ponders one of the most significant questions any human can ever think about and explores it in imaginative and eccentric ways. With the characters in the play dealing with their own fresh grief, it can be a heavy subject to unpack, but this play manages to carefully find the right balance in not laying it on too thick, with the topic being explored with a sense of childlike innocence and wonder. The result is a play with an abundance of heart with no shortage of sweet and funny moments to be found throughout.

Creativity is at the heart of Our Cosmic Dust, with Ozawa also directing. The small but effective space at Park Theatre is used in a way I haven’t seen before, with a fairly bare set aside from a smattering of chairs amidst a glorious backdrop, which proves to be one of the stars of the piece. With video design from Elka Shimbo, a large screen projects the cosmos and itself comes to life through animations and drawings, again all through the eyes of a child - a feeling all the characters can relate to no matter how big they are, feeling ever so small as they look up into the infinite universe. The use of Shotaro’s drawings and scribblings on this backdrop is one of the inspired touches that makes Our Cosmic Dust truly shine.

Shotaro is embodied by a beautifully designed puppet, whose eyes sparkle with the tinge of sadness and emotion whenever the light catches them. It is Hiroki Berrecloth who plays his human counterpart, providing his voice and movement in a subtle and understated portrayal that combines his grief and curiosity. More hinged on reality and life on Earth is Yoko, played by Millie Hikasa in a wonderfully contrasting performance that is more frantic as she faces the very real threat of her son disappearing. As Shotaro and the other characters have more of a tendency to lean into the fantastical, it is Yoko who attempts to ground the story and, in turn, the audience, though she too can’t resist the charms of the mysteries being explored.

The cast is completed by three fantastic performers who double as the ensemble, while all playing individual characters Shotaro and Yoko meet on their journeys. First up, is Nina Bowers, who is a joy to watch as Tara, who comes across as a big kid in an adult’s body and provides the perfect bridge between Shotaro and his mother. Hari Mackinnon is a big character with big emotions as Alastair, creating a brilliant dynamic when he meets Tara. Ian Hallard takes on Orion with a confidence and stage presence that brings a larger-than-life and slightly eccentric character with more of a quiet and assured wisdom. A proven performer in his own right, gloriously he even gets to belt at one point.

While watching Our Cosmic Dust, I was reminded of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time. It feels like both shows share similarities in their attempts to create worlds from their young protagonists. The result for both shows is something quite wondrous. Exploring heavy themes with sensitivity and creativity, Our Cosmic Dust takes the big questions on stage and crams them into a rather small space, creating theatre magic as they do. Heartfelt and poignant, Our Cosmic Dust is a rather unique production in many ways, but one that has been expertly realised. It can be silly at times and sorrowful at others, but isn’t that a reflection of life? It may not have all the answers, but it has a great time trying to find out, and the stars really are shining on this beautiful production.

Our Cosmic Dust plays at Park Theatre until 5th July. Tickets from https://allthatdazzles.londontheatredirect.com/play/our-cosmic-dust-tickets

Photos by Pamela Raith