A large and curious box sits on the stage. Suddenly it unfolds into a coffee stand, complete with three jovial barristas who smile and wave, trying to ply their trade in an accentuated and entertaining style. Whilst two of them bicker and fight, the more sensible keeps them in line, when not taking secret moments to gaze lovingly at a Polaroid of her dream love. The conceit of the show is that the magical coffee has the power, when combined with a Polaroid photo and a sack-puppet voodoo doll, to let the customer fall in love with another passer-by.
Matters take a step to the bizarre when the bickering duo, in an attempt to cease hostilities, fall in love with each other. What follows is a beautiful feast of sumptuous fun, as the entirely dialogue-free production steps through the ups and downs felt all round and takes the audience on a wonderfully touching journey through love and loss.
It's difficult to heap enough praise onto this unique and unusual masterpiece. The threesome onstage manage to evoke a range of emotions and convey the story entirely through physical presence and movement. Alchemystorium has enough wit and charm inherent in it that not only does it not require dialogue, but actually shows a human enough message that transgresses the need for spoken word. An utter gem.