Edinburgh Fringe 2010
Where The Solitary Eagle Flies
Sell A Door Productions.
Genre: Mainstream Theatre
Venue: Spaces @ The Surgeons.
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
This modern and intelligent script is bought to life by wonderful acting and interesting, innovative direction. Although some of the characters could do with a little development, this romantic and dreamy show is well worth audience attention.
Review
Jake searches for his estranged mother by hiring a private investigator, Saul. Whilst searching, he meets and falls in love with American student, Rachel. However, said investigator soon reveals a horrid truth about both Rachel and Jake’s past, so horrid that Jake leaves to join the army. From different sides of the world, the couple struggle with their feelings for each other and when Jake returns, his life is turned upside down by what he finds awaiting back in the UK.
Lead actors, Chris Thorpe and Sarah Wolff have an electric energy onstage and are totally convincing as young lovers. Thorpe is perfectly cast as the troubled and nervous Jake, as is Wolff who demands attention onstage and is a joy to watch. Carina Low who commendably plays Caroline, Jake’s psychologist, is also great, although her character is not quite as developed as the others, making the overall execution a little more difficult to asses. However, special mention must go to both David Hutchinson and Carl Vorweck who play Michael and Saul respectfully. Michael, a hard-nut soldier with a dark past, sparkles onstage passionately acted by Hutchinson. Furthermore, Vorweck slimes across the stage with a wonderful manipulative air, that is perfect for the part.
The whole piece is slick and well directed, using innovative and interesting physicality between scene changes. Set is kept very simple but once again is clever and interesting: a park bench is used like no one has used a park bench before! Tech is also well thought out, with a great mix of modern and classic music played to accompany the scene changes. There were a couple of tech issues to iron out, but nothing that wont be smooth after a few performances.
This is a highly accomplished, interesting piece of theatre that is both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time: it’s like Shutter Island mixed with Notting Hill, with an extra added dose of sex appeal. Sell A Door once again prove why they have such a prestigious reputation: this is well up there with their best pieces of work. Go and see it, immediately.