Edinburgh Fringe 2010
Low Down
As you enter the space, a attractive young man strums a guitar, easing you into the mood and style of the piece. Thomas J Millington is a sweet and affable performer, and the entire piece has an atmosphere of understatement. In a town that’s currently stuffed to the rafters of performers shouting at you to make their point, this is a breath of fresh air, although it occasionally reminds you that there’s not a great deal going on.
Review
The story, in fact, is very slight, and while it’s true that passing crushes have sustained a hour of story-telling before (most notably the sublime Stefan Golwaski Talks About A Girl He Once Loved, which this emulates, but does not resemble), this is light, but not always light hearted: it’s significant that the narrative takes the form of an internal dialogue, as opposed to a direct address to the audience, meaning that we always feel somewhat removed from the (in)action. There is the potential for remarkable set-pieces, however – being late for school, getting to ride a bike with a beautiful girl in the driving rain, and attempting to make a cup of coffee for a boss with impossibly high standards. Given the gentleness of the rest of the piece, these are moments that could have been exploited for their full comedy and physical potential (this is advertised as a movement piece, after all). A more expansive sense of direction (in both senses of the word)
