FAMILY REVIEWS : ‘Pal’ Speaks Volumes in Any Language

If you had a worm for a friend, what would you do? Take him to a tailor for a fancy green suit, buy him pastries, join him in a piano duet? That’s what German actor Thomas Ahrens does in “Al’s Pal,” a one-man piece of theatrical whimsy for young children that had its American premiere in a too-brief weekend run at Taper Too in Hollywood.

In the play, adapted by By-Teatern Stockholm from a Swedish children’s book, lonely Al’s life changes when he meets Karl the Worm, who bullies and cajoles his way into Al’s affections and brings him out of his shell.

In his tour-de-force performance, Ahrens narrates, provides sound effects and switches from one eccentric character to another: shy, fussy little Al; naughty, ebullient Karl (Ahrens’ forefinger); a crotchety old tailor and his hard-of-hearing Icelandic wife; a sly magpie, and a snooty waiter (Ahrens’ hand, wearing eyeglasses and a buzz cut, above a waiter’s jacket).

Ahrens informed Saturday’s audience that he was “a little nervous” having to perform in English and although the translation affected his rhythm at times, Ahrens’ quirky humor and physical clowning transcended any lingual awkwardness.

A production of Berlin’s GRIPS Theatre, “Al’s Pal,” directed by Jorg Gade, moves on to the East Coast. A free reading of “Line One,” a play for young teen-agers by GRIPS’ artistic director Volker Ludwig, will be performed today at 4 p.m. at the Mark Taper Forum Annex at 601 W. Temple St.