Edinburgh Fringe 2009
The World is Too Much
David Greig with Traverse Theatre Company
Venue: Traverse
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
The Traverse has a long and enviable reputation for supporting new writing. Theatre for Breakfast is another example of the Traverse in action. This year, the new work is from Simon Stephens,Enda Walsh, Rona Munro,Chris Hannan, Zinnie Harris, and David Greig, the writer of the piece I heard read.
The play is read, by actors seated on the stage, reading from very early scripts. Its a great idea. Pity about the David Greig play.
Review
David Greig doesnt just write this piece; he appears in it, as do the audience who become the chorus. Greig is a gifted playwright with a long list of credits to his name, and a growing reputation. He is very much the local boy made good. And quite right too.
"Brewers Fayre", the title of this latest work is disappointingly thin. Its a story around love and loneliness. And, of course today, all on the internet.
I am not sure if any of the people writing about dating sites have ever got beyond filling out the basic registration details required for such sites, or reading and regurgitating populist stereotypes about the people who use them. But this play is crap. Sorry, but it is. Thin, weak, poorly researched and inconsequential.
The experience itself of being present at the reading was a good one. The audience entered fully and goodnaturedly into the experimental nature of the piece and its delivery. So the three stars are really for us.
I advise you to go along to Theatre for Breakfast, but suggest you try one of the other five writers. This piece barely merits being a first draft. Sorry.
