In a world where cheap means of mass-production reign supreme and new books are but a few clicks and an overnight delivery away, the traditional trade of the bookbinder is all but a lost art. Even more scarce perhaps than the existence of independent bookstores to stock said books, and folks who will turn to literature to learn about something, rather than just skimming an auto-generated summary online.

The potent nostalgia and potential for mysticism that shrouds the specialised trade of preserving and restoring books is the foundation of The Bookbinder – an inventive one-man show set in a bookbinder’s workshop from award-winning Aotearoa/New Zealander company, Trick of the Light Theatre.

The Bookbinder. Photo © Philip Merry/axolotl photography

An unconventional and charming twist on your traditional dark fairytale recommended for audiences aged eight-years-old and up, this absorbing and humorous performance has the power to entrance children and reel in the adults as well. In fact, you don’t even need to find a curious child to take along as an excuse – this magical little show is for anyone who appreciates good stagecraft.

Our onstage bookbinder (portrayed by writer and performer Ralph McCubbin Howell, who’d make a helluva Play School presenter) shares the tale of an erstwhile apprentice who takes on the challenge of repairing a mysterious book for a mysterious old woman. The story spills out from the pages, finding form through the use of puppetry, prop work, ornate paper craft, and (fittingly) tricks of the light.

The lion’s share of this theatrical magic arises from an oversized pop-up book, from which a series of intricately detailed scenes emerge and disappear, taking us from the bindery to strange woods and distant lands. Designed and created by the show’s director Hannah Smith along with McCubbin Howell, the pop-up book is a stunning piece of craft, handled with a deceptively intricate level of skill as the story unfolds.

The Bookbinder. Photo © Philip Merry/axolotl photography

The only drawback to this fantastical prop and its intricate, black-and-white illustrations, is that the details aren’t all that visible for audiences sitting towards the back half of the theatre (even a relatively small theatre, like the 150-seat Show Room at Arts Centre Melbourne).

This “pocket-sized” production began its life in a backroom of an actual bookstore, and there is a sense that its magic would be best served in a more intimate, site-specific location. Nevertheless, The Bookbinder is a darkly magical show that meets children on their level, weaving in a resonant message about the importance of taking your time to do something properly between silly jokes about bathtime and imagery of perilous high-sea adventures. (It’s a morality tale that the grown-ups who pull the strings at those big corporations that flog cheap paperbacks could perhaps stand to revisit).

It’s delightful to witness Trick of the Light’s small but passionate crew continue to open up The Bookbinder to theatregoers around the globe – this show is much more than a good cover.

The Bookbinder plays at The Show Room, Arts Centre Melbourne until 1 May. The tour continues to HOTA, Gold Coast, from 6–10 May.