*****

The concept of this production is deceptively simple: children’s words about their lives are spoken by adults acting out adult situations. There’s the interview of the famous person, the date, the job interview, the politicians speechifying. There are six actors, and any and all combinations take part in the small vignettes. Sometimes the ‘researcher’ is present (not always the same actor), asking the questions and prompting more speech, and sometimes not, and the adults-speaking-children’s-words have conversations among themselves.

This piece doesn’t seem to have an agenda or seek to make any point, but simply reflects reality back at the audience, slightly distorted and with a sharper edge. In one phrase is demonstrated the strange logic of children, the next shows how ridiculous adults often are.

The Traverse 2 is a nice theatre – no views blocked by heads, and the piece is staged so well that there’s always something to watch, whichever angle you’re facing the stage from. From the first explanation to the last question, this is a thoughtful piece indeed.

Reviewed by Laura

Traverse Theatre

until 26 Aug (various times)