Daniel Kitson has written a play, but it is so ambitious, so daring that he couldn't possibly give his script to actors; instead he's recorded every voice, apart from the main character's, and the recordings, meticulously edited and one each given to an audience member to hold, form the majority of the performance.
His new hour has all the hallmarks of Kitson: it's meta, it touches on the profound (such as the futility of love and relationships), it's masterfully crafted and performed, imaginative comic characters spring from the story, it's filled with jokes and superb comic timing and, as with any of Kitson's work, he takes delight in mockingly reveling in his his oeuvre and his stage persona.
It's a dizzying performance, with some rather well known comic voices (who knew the famous recluse was so well connected?) which brings you into a play about a play about a play.
That the venue is a circular theatre and the audience almost within touching distance of Kitson adds to the intimacy of the piece - this work demands that atmosphere, and it works exceptionally well. Are the audience really part of the performance?
It doesn't have the same level of depth or heart as some of Kitson's previous work, and he hasn't indulged us in the same amount of profound musings of life as After The Beginning, Before The End, but it's still a performance to leave you breathless.
Score: 8/10
Venue: Summerhall, Roudabout Theatre
Dates: 7th-30th August (not Tuesdays)
Times: 12:15
Price: £12 (sold out - check twitter and the venue for people selling tickets)
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