blackoutbedford

“A dazzling series of verbal loops, covering fishing, trained seals and sea lions, the usefulness of horses and children (once both are broken in) and ‘freedom’.”

There’s a long and honourable tradition of shows with two protagonists (usually male) trapped together in an unusual situation. ‘The Dumb Waiter’, ‘The Zoo Story’, ‘Steptoe and Son’, most of Laurel and Hardy, ‘Waiting for Godot’ and Rick and Ade in ‘Bottom’ to name a few. To that list, we can now add Horse Country, CJ Hopkins’s just over 60-minute play, first seen at Edinburgh in 2002.

This time it’s Flying Bridge Theatre Company, based in Newport, to bring Sam and Bob to life. And in the form of Daniel Llewelyn-Williams and Michael Edwards, they are in very safe hands. As the audience enters, both actors are onstage, slippers on, seemingly channelling their inner Laurel and Hardy (also playing as the front of House music), in particular Edward’s nervous grinning and waving to members of the crowd embodying the spirit of Mr Laurel.

However, the cosiness does not last long as the play begins in a blizzard of words, images and ideas which shake us out of any complacency. Sam and Bob, our protagonists, take us through a dazzling series of verbal loops, covering fishing, trained seals and sea lions, the usefulness of horses and children (once both are broken in) and ‘freedom’. And here’s the nub, for all Sam and Bob’s talk and dreams of freedom, they are essentially trapped in a system they cannot control and from which they seemingly cannot escape. The search for the lost nine of diamonds from their deck of cards is as futile as their quest to go “out there”, we get an occasional glimpse and then it disappears.

I was reminded at times of watching Twin Peaks, accept everything you see and hear, then work out your own meaning later.

Both actors show superb verbal and physical dexterity throughout the performance and their onstage chemistry is perfectly aligned. They invite us into their world and we willingly take the trip, which makes the one moment of real violence all the more shocking.

It’s a strong performance for Flying Bridge Theatre and hopefully will have a life beyond Edinburgh.

Come for the slapstick. Stay for the verbal gymnastics. Leave with a free carrot (maybe). Get your riding coats on and go see this.

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“Docherty leads us effortlessly through the story, with some nicely observed characters and an impressive bit of lip-syncing, plus a few Scottish references (a cheer for mention of The Blue Nile!).”

Editorial Rating: 5 Stars (Outstanding)

Jack Docherty has always been a class act. From his early double act with Moray Hunter, through the years of Absolutely, through now to the self-aggrandising Chief Cameron Miekelson in Scot Squad, Docherty has been an engaging and fascinating performer.

I’m glad to say this trend continues with ‘Nothing But’, a time-shifting story of love, anticipation and disappointment, spread over 40 plus years but chiefly focused on a brief affair between two people at the Edinburgh Fringe in the late 80s that is rekindled many years later and how that relationship came to destroy a marriage and affect the subsequent relationship with his daughter. Docherty has an easy charm and is a natural storyteller, starting with his lifelong disappointment in the ‘clown’ at a friend’s fifth birthday party and running through his life. Although presented as a true story, how much of it actually happened is left to the audience to decide.

With a couple of poster-covered blocks and a few projections, Docherty leads us effortlessly through the story, with some nicely observed characters and an impressive bit of lip-syncing, plus a few Scottish references (a cheer for mention of The Blue Nile!). At no point does the story feel forced or staged although, at one point he notes, the situation gets to a point of such clichéd romance where even Richard Curtis would say “hang on a minute…”

Having ‘retired’ from live performance for a few years, it’s very good to see such a wonderful performer back in front of an audience. There are only a couple of performances left, so don’t miss out, because as the man himself says “it’s the Edinburgh Fringe, and all bets are off.”

Come for a top professional at the top of his professional powers. Stay for the story well told. Leave knowing you got to see the unicorn before it vanished from the glade. Get your coats on (quickly) and go see this!

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