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Edinburgh Fringe 2010

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Mucle Roe Productions

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Venue: Zoo Roxy

Festival:


Low Down

Written by Argentinian playwright Javier Daulte, here it has been adapted by Charliie Ward. With a cast of only two the story develops intriguingly, and this company have done a good job with it.

 

Review

Fran sits in his apartment talking to an invisible presence, the phone keeps ringing where he appears to be taking to his girlfriend who is driving home. Who or what is this presence? Fran wants to communicate with it but it isn’t exactly forthcoming. When his girlfriend gets back things only gets stranger, and it takes a while to work out what’s going on.

The script is playful, even light, and even though it concerns itself with the paranormal, it doesn’t get bogged down with metaphysics it plays with ideas of illusion and the perceptions of the bewildered characters. Fran spends most of his time talking to unknown or unseeable presences, and Ana how to act with him.

Ward has had to edit the script and it appears he has done well, although the ending feels a little lame and sudden, and doesn’t really have much impact. The tone even gets a bit farcical, with a strange plot twist, and this is partly down to …. slightly confusing characterization of Renata, though to be fair it is a very difficult part to play as she is effectively playing two characters (no spoilers here!).

There is nothing very original as far as the staging goes, it is solidly done and Ward obviously wanted to concentrate on the text and action. Three doors lead off stage and from there the ‘ghost’ throws things; and in another moment the light seems to move by itself, these are quite scary moments.

This is a solid student production. Jamie Wightman Fran does a decent job of a character who hasn’t been written with much depth. Charlotte Duffy is also good, and they have nice on-stage chemistry.

 

 

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