Review: The travelling squirrel by Robert Lord
Bart (Paul Waggot) is a writer who is married to Jane, (Acushla-Tara Sutton). Jane is an actress who is nervous about her job security and therefore is keen to cultivate a working relationship with Wallace (Gavin Rutherford) a gossip columnist. Wallace throws a party where Jane and Bart meet Terry (Andrew Paterson) who can help Bart publish his writing. He knows an illustrator, Sarah (Claire Waldron). Also at the party are Julie (Carrie Green), Jane’s best friend, and Daryl (Erroll Anderson), a young man who is making decisions about his future.
The tag line for this show is “United by love. Divided by a squirrel.” That’s pretty much how I feel about it. It _should_ work. The performers have great energy. There are enough clever lines in the script for it to be entertaining and it explores themes of fame and celebrity. Every time the play starts to get interesting it’s interrupted by the squirrel story. There’s a strange hiccupping pace to the script which doesn’t help the director or the actors.
Waggot does his best although his character – who I think is supposed to be charming – is a jerk. Sutton is more interesting as her character goes through emotional changes. Interactions between Rutherford and Anderson are my favourite part of the show as they posture and pose. Green is delightful. Her character’s relentless naive positivity about her life is hilarious. Paterson doesn’t have quite enough energy in his performance and Waldron has too much. All in all, a curious mix.
- The travelling squirrel by Robert Lord, directed by Susan Wilson on at Circa until 2 October 2015.