UK Theatre Network

'We have become deep down unmoored... '

This, according to writer/director John Clancy, is the current malaise prevalent in the 21st century and we are all victims of this way of living.

Clancy's 60 minute one-man show THE EVENT, running at the Cochrane Theatre until Saturday, has had previous success at last year's Edinburgh Festival, winning a Fringe First and at a subsequent festival in Australia. On it's current outing, however, it seems to have lost some of its bite and energy. It's not an ideal venue, it has to be said. A studio or 'in the round' setting would be more fitting for an intimate show of this nature.

It's a fairly clever idea - having the actor - 'THE MAN' onstage, speaking to an audience - 'THE STRANGERS' demystifing the theatrical process that we accept in order to listen to actors 'acting out' a writer's message. Once you've grasped this though - there are no more surprises. Except perhaps when THE MAN pretends he's forgotten his lines and yes indeed, we do momentarily believe he has.

The essence of the piece is the rant of a middle-aged man about the way society is today; the lack of what he feels is true communication, the speed of living, the need to be continually 'available' and contactable to all and sundry, even if you don't want to be and the basically alienated mode of living we now accept and believe to be our idea of an 'integrated' society. Everything is an illusion these days, we are all living a lie. Every man is an island it's been said, and even more so today it seems. There are some isolated moments of 'connection' we experience along the way, that keep us going, but it's all downhill from now on.

Yes, there's a central crux or heart of the piece - a 'rant' and we are drawn into this as THE MAN guides us through the technical steps as to how he achieves this, through the direction & the work of the previously mentioned technician somewhere out there in the dark pressing the same series of buttons night after night. The pool of light focuses in on THE ACTOR as he moves into a seated position on the chair, rolls up his sleeves and leans forward to entice us further in to what he has to say and draw us in it does. But it's a rant that needs more rancour and energy to really stir our guts.

David Calvitto has a likeable energy and certainly holds the attention in his delivery in this deconstructive piece about reality and illusion and it's a nice idea to use the theatrical metaphor, but ultimately in terms of what this piece wants to say, you're left wanting more of 'an event'.

THE EVENT

Cochrane Theatre

20-25 April 2010

020 8807 5770

info@theatretoursinternational.com

www.theatretoursinternational.com