Block

An artist agonises in his studio. There in the middle of the room is a block of stone and he can't think what to sculpt. Eventually, he chips away at it, hoping some image might emerge. It doesn't and he ends up with a pile of gravel.

The next block is different. Chunks of stone fall away easily and a figure emerges from its centre, the stone replica of a naked man, perfectly formed. When he leaves the studio, the figure comes to life and suddenly thoughts of Dr Frankenstein are resurrected from a dark place in the memory.

Duncan Nicoll's storytelling is better than his clay model animation, which looks crude at best. However, anyone who can conjure up a denouement as surprising as this deserves a bouquet of nightshade.