Cape theatre pick: January 6 2012

The Handspring Company and the Space Behind the Couch present Madame Touxflouwe.

In a run-down house at the top of a hill, the Madame’s dinner routine runs like clockwork every evening; an impressive record, considering it’s been going on for the past 200 years.

This quirky tale of love, loss and the not-quite-living combines a wicked tale and a strong signature style with puppetry, original animation and shadow imagery to create a magical world in which creatures appear inside walls, furniture moves and corpses come to life. Stand-up comedian Brendan Murray plays a Russian chef whose familiarity with the meat cleaver leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Written, directed and designed by Beren Belknap.

Arena Theatre, Artscape ­Theatre Centre, Foreshore, until January 14. Book at Computicket. Tel: 021 421 7695. Website: artscape.co.za.