By John Gibson. Venue 150: Pleasance at the EICC

---

I know Guy Masterson mostly from his contribution in bringing numerous London stand-ups (known for TV in the noughties) to Edinburgh to do some serious acting.  Having seen three other one-man shows this year I admit that I was trepidatious about this offering.  

The novel has over a dozen speaking parts and from the outset Masterson demonstrates an intent to render them all.  With barely any staging beyond an apple box, he covers the story in surprising detail, but to such an extent that much of the exposition seems laboured.

Whilst an undoubtedly adept theatrical performer, tonight there seems to be something missing.  Several lines are fluffed and a lighting cue error turns into a brief conversation with the tech in the booth.  The marriage of mime, clowning and a myriad of accents with the sparse barnyard sound effects seem somewhat limited in an era where productions have an over-reliance on tech.

The crowd were pleased, although mere attendance would suffice on nights as significant as this, but I found myself wanting a cast for Masterson to interact with and essentially just wanting to listen to the audiobook.  Not for me.