A simple tale, homespun and spellbinding.

Angus MacPhee was raised in a croft in Uist and lived a happy and carefree life - a life of storytelling, horse-riding, music and song. He rode off to war but became ill and was restrained, medicated, and given ECT. Years passed in white-corridor-ed confusion. For Angus, the sun did not shine again until he began compulsively to weave grasses into ropes, coils and braids that he made into clothes - coats, boots and, especially, hats. But he never spoke again.

With directors Bob Frith and Alison Duddle, the Horse+Bamboo Theatre company have taken the threads of Angus's life story and woven a beautiful tapestry full of strangeness and charm. The set consists of simple frames, stapled with white and buff fabric. They become croft walls, or the island landscape; hospital sheets; windows, or projection screens; sometimes, all at the same time. Angus's world moves fluidly as actors MJ (Melissa) Deans, Jonny Quick, Jordanna O'Neill and Mark Whitaker weave through the narrative, extending the tale with silhouettes, puppets, and film projections.

The soundscape and music, written by Loz Kaye, bring essential light and colour to the story of Angus's life. The story unfolds too with songs in Gaelic, sung with great charm and fluency, by MJ Deans. After the show, the cast brought out some of the puppets and props, including some of the strange and scratchy garments made by Angus (actually made by artist Joanne B Kaar using similar techniques. Many of MacPhee's own work was destroyed, though some is in the Collection de l'Art Brut in Switzerland). There is a small and satisfying irony in the way Angus's tale is told with a depth and texture that the artist would have appreciated, though he would never have said so.

Horse+Bamboo have taken the show to nearly 50 rural theatres, village halls and drama studios and are reaching the end of their tour for this year. Having seen this production, I'll be first in line for any show they care to produce.