Wondrous Flitting

From August 2011

Part way through Wondrous Flitting, Grant O'Rourke's character Sam says that he has an appointment at the dentist at 2:30pm. Out of an audience of about 80 I was the only person to laugh and now, two days later, I am beginning to wonder if it wasn't meant to be a joke. But why else would you have a fictional dental appointment at 2:30pm? Anyway ...

How to categorise Mark Thomson's Wondrous Flitting? A 21st century parable? Social satire? Pantomime? A bonkers Edinburgh road trip? All of these really. Loafer Sam is woken up from his life sitting in front of the TV by a miracle which inspires him to get out of the house and try to make sense of his life. On his journey he meets a couple of school kids, his girlfriend, the aforementioned dentist, a Polish cleaning lady, his grandfather and a host of other characters resourcefully played by Molly Innes & Liam Brennan.

Does it work? As a series of sketches about how modern life is rubbish, yes. As a play, not really, it just fizzles out to nowhere. But maybe that's the point.

Wondrous Flitting, Traverse Theatre, until 28th August