The Event
Mike McShane
Starring Fringe favourite, Mike McShane, this sharply witty, insightful exploration of the unspoken contract between actor and audience skilfully dissects the art of performance whilst exploring the absurdities of life. Hailed as both a comic deconstruction of theatre and a profound look at human connection in the 21st century, The Event goes beyond the stage, inviting you to think, laugh and reconnect with what matters most. A thought-provoking, entertaining theatrical experience that will leave you talking long after the final bow. 'Incongruously entertaining' (Times). 'Intelligent and exhilarating' (Guardian). 'An extraordinary tour-de-force' (Scotsman). 'Delicious, perniciously mind-bending stuff' (Financial Times).
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A man stands alone on the stage and self reflexively narrates his own monologue, his appearance and the theatrical conventions in which he briefly exists, in full.
Particularly wanted to see this because years ago I saw Mike McShane in Fatboy by the same playwright, also at the Fringe. That was silly over-the-top Ubu Roi-inspired satirical farce. This is quieter, contained introspection, which subdues McShane's natural charm, but he's still very watchable and the writing is fluent engaging, even if it didn't build quite as I wanted it to. Reminded me a bit of Will Eno's plays (like Thom Pain), which can also be wryly withholding but give in to specificity and strangeness, whereas this stays a formal exercise.