This anarchic comic romp turns storytelling on its head. In 90 joyful minutes it combines African folklore, celebrity culture and Shakespeare. It's full of colour and clever references: very knowing and very fun.
The Epic Adventure begins with a bow-tied narrator who has just hours to complete his masterpiece: the ultimate African TV drama. But in a land where people are running out of stories, how will he find his hero? Suddenly he stumbles upon a young goat herder - Nhamo. Perfect! All he needs now is for Nhamo to woo the girl, defeat the villain and learn his lines. Before midnight.

What ensues is a hilarious pantomime, with a Zimbabwean twist. Some of the humour comes from farce. But much comes from nods at other texts and riffs on theatrical tropes. Literature students will have a field-day spotting the references. Most interestingly, The Epic Adventure mocks Disney stereotypes about Africa. In the jungle, the mighty jungle, there is not savagery but characters with tender emotions.

The small space of the North Wall is effectively transformed into a host African bush setting, with ropes and lights. The three actors perform with great verve, the pace maintained throughout the 90 minutes. The facial expressions of the oft-confused Nhamo cause ripples of laughter. At times, the cast over-act: the narrator and the nemesis, Commander Speck, put too much energy into their roles. Similarly, some of the jokes about contemporary culture (Posh and Becks, ITV…) fall flat or disrupt the flow. Yet by and large, The Epic Adventure is an absurd, madcap delight.