Going Dark

The story revolves around the life of Max and his six-year-old son, Leo. Max is an astrology lecturer and spends much of the play talking clearly and peacefully about the cosmos. It’s clear that he derives a lot of solace from his occupation, and it is this feeling that dominates the play. Sitting in very dim seats, the audience is guided across a planetarium ceiling of the more simple astrological arrangements, being softly reminded of space and our position within it.

A one-man show, perhaps the most charming feature is Leo, present in the form of a clever voiceover that has the intonations of a six-year-old down to the finest detail. The story between father and son is equally charming, weaving Max’s own boyhood with his position as a parent and the overhanging threat of life’s limitations.

Gently funny, the play meanders through its 75-minute run. The facts aren’t as hitting as they could be; they are closer to initial science lessons than keen adult curiosity, but this chimes with the tempo of the story. It’s not scene-changing theatre, but for an evening of unobtrusive entertainment, this latest immersive offering from Sound&Fury (the company behind Kursk) is lovely.

– Jessica Frith