Theatre Review: The Man Who Fed Butterflies, King's Theatre

The second in a trilogy by Chilean company Teatro Cinema, The Man Who Fed Butterflies is a technically ambitious, meandering meditation on hope, loss and the meaning of life.

The story begins with a dying man making his final journey across a city to feed migrating butterflies, a life-affirming tradition handed down by a member of an extinct tribe.

Juan, a young film director, finds the old man in a state of collapse, manages to revive him and is absorbed by his inspirational take on life when it emerges they have sadness and suffering in common.

From here we are taken on an emotional and complex journey through the human psyche - told in Spanish with English subtitles - in which the elderly man's timeless wisdom resonates with the young director, himself embarking on a cathartic quest to cast off painful and destructive emotions through his latest project.

The creation of Juan's fantasy film acts as an entertaining sub-plot, its cast providing some light relief as they despair at the constantly evolving storyline which develops in parallel with Juan's inner voyage of discovery.

What really sets this production apart is Teatro's trademark style of blending film, theatre and an absorbing classical score, which effortlessly combine to bring this poignant story to life.

The cast of five performs entirely behind a giant gauze screen on to which high definition film is projected, brilliantly blurring the lines between reality and fantasy.

To interact closely with the virtual characters and backgrounds relies upon impeccable timing and positioning to keep up with the pre- recorded scene changes which flash by, unhindered by the need to reposition 'real' props on stage.

To writer and director Juan Carlos Zagal's credit, this potential logistical nightmare is overcome and the whole cast delivers a moving, flawless performance that stands out against the novelty of this fusion of theatre and cinema.

Complemented by incredible depth in the writing, the effect of combining these two formats on stage is truly spectacular.

A bold, abstract exploration of the human character that, while often confusing, sprawling and lacking in traditional plot structure, has the rare quality of touching something inside that we rarely explore.

Run ends Saturday