No Comments
Courier 3*** - One4Review
one4review | On 06, Aug 2025
We take our seats as our courier is already on stage, pedalling an exercise bike in full Deliveroo gear, weaving through an imaginary city. As an opening, it promised immersion — and for long periods, it delivered.
We follow him as he bounces and rumbles through a heightened, surreal world.
The supporting characters — other riders, customers, rider support and strange acquaintances — are sharply drawn.
The lameness of the driver, his loneliness, even the sense of quiet despair are all palpable.
The courier is posh — an unusual and never quite fully explained detail. He’s doing this job, we’re told, to avoid moving back in with his mum. But the emotional core of that story remains underdeveloped.
Moments that reference “key workers” felt a little stale — maybe a hangover from a collective trauma we’re still trying to forget. At times, perhaps this one man show is a little overpopulated. The characters are very well-played, but their emotional depth sits just a notch below believable.
The story builds to a climax where the a main character — revealed to be struggling with identity — is challenged to open a door.
The moment passes. He doesn’t step outside. Perhaps that’s realistic. But dramatically, it leaves something unresolved.
It’s as the piece shifts into psychological territory, things become less clear – perhaps a choice?
However a solo show, where the audience depends entirely on one performer, his actions, and his physicality to anchor the story, that ambiguity must be intentional and precise.
Here, the shift feels at times fuzzy. It wasn’t entirely clear what the intention was for the audiences journey. I just wanted to know by the resolution exactly who was this main character – what was true and what wasn’t.
Someone smarter than me might realise what the signposts within this piece were challenging me to think about.
Technically, the staging is clever — particularly the use of projection through a keyhole, which allows certain characters to land with real emotional weight.
The performance is committed and professional –
The writing is sharp. There’s moments it feels like a theatrical piece chasing laughs, rather than a comedy that breathes.
It is well-crafted, there’s real wit in the writing, and definitely as a piece it’s thought provoking.
Piers is clearly an excellent actor. I expect him to create even stronger, more daring work going forward.
One to watch for the future.
***
Reviewed by Sharpie
Zoo Playground
17.45 (50 mins)
Until 24 Aug
Popular & Recent Posts
-
Comedy Cellar – The Good, the Bad and the Irish 5*****
September 10, 2025
Submit a Comment