The Animator

Review by Jack

⭐⭐

Akimbo Theatre bring to life the story of Lotte Reiniger, a pioneer of silhouette animation whose 1926 film, “The Adventures of Prince Achmed”, remains the earliest surviving feature-length animation. Using physical theatre, live performance, and projected cut-outs, the piece explores her art, her struggles, and the legacy she left behind.

This was a production full of ambition and creativity, but ultimately it felt like it couldn’t quite decide what it wanted to be. At times leaning into parody, at others factual and dramatic, the constant shift in tone left the narrative feeling unsteady. While there’s no doubt Reiniger’s story deserves telling, the structure and pacing—running at 1 hour 40 minutes including an interval—made it feel stretched, and I left thinking this would have worked far better as a concise single act.

The highlight was, without doubt, the silhouette animations themselves. Used for scene transitions, atmosphere, and storytelling, they were beautiful to watch and captured the spirit of Reiniger’s work perfectly.

The final ten minutes. Grounded, factual, and heartfelt, this closing stretch delivered the emotional impact the rest of the piece struggled to sustain, reminding us of the extraordinary woman at its centre when she rediscovers her lost film, only for a reel of Steamboat Willie to appear. It’s a striking reminder that while Disney is often credited as the pioneer, it was Reiniger who truly laid the foundations for feature-length animation.

Her legacy deserves to be celebrated far more widely, and I’d urge anyone to seek out her story beyond the stage.