Interviews

Five Reasons to See … Gavin Robertson’s The Six-Sided Man

Gavin Robertson, writer-performer in The Six-Sided Man, brings a new take on Luke Rhinehart’s novel in a special staged production at the Zoo, Aviary, at this year’s Fringe Festival. Here are his further instructions as to why you should see this show.


1. Based on a Famous Book

The first reason is that it’s based on a very subversive book from the 1970’s called The Dice Man by American author Luke Rhinehart. I haven’t ‘done’ the book, although certain phrases and words are culled from it, but I take the central idea, the theme of abandoning your will to options chosen by the dice, and have expressed it on the stage.

2. It has a Unique Style

We use an ABBA soundtrack, and that was in place way before Mama Mia was ever a gleam in anyone’s chequebook. The show is a play with movement, which sounds pretentious but actually allows us to present information and portray the characters’ emotions in a more interesting way than just acting them out. It’s deliberately ambiguous too, by the end, you’re left wondering who was who?!

3. Recommended by the book’s author

The book’s author Luke Rhinehart said it was ‘brilliant’ which fabulous news for us. If you’re gonna use someone else’s idea, best they know that you used it, and even better that they like what you did with it!

4. It’s Funny!

Fourth reason – it sounds deep and meaningful – which it is, deep down, but there’s a lot more humour in it than you might imagine. Giving up your own free will has got to be a recipe for disaster!

5. You Should Just Take A Chance on us

It’s the fringe. Take a chance – geddit?! If you get odds you buy a ticket, evens you don’t. We won’t know anyway! But we’re a gem –I promise!

Gavin Robertson’s The Six-Sided Man is at the Zoo, Aviary, 9-29 August at 12:30.