The Event (Edinburgh)

The Event is one great big inside joke. The more you attend and enjoy going to the theatre, the more you’re going to like it.

John Clancy’s script takes 65-minutes to perform, and it is mostly an actor’s internal monologue, for the majority of the script looks at every aspect of ‘an event,’ from an actor’s preparation and rehearsal to the day-to-day running of a production.

And it is extremely funny. Played brilliantly by David Calvitto, the play moves at a very brisk pace, never missing a beat or an opportunity for a laugh. Calvitto is a natural performer, and his performance is so relaxed that it does feel as if these are truthful observations that are just coming to his mind. It is a great performance that’s far better and more polished than it first appears.

However, running at about 65 minutes, the play does start to run out of shots to take at the theatre. This is when it actually manages to kick into gear and find ways of making parallels to other big ‘events’ one may find. It also makes some clever and zingy comments about the way people live their day-to-day lives, thus giving the script more layers than one at first assumes it will have.

The Event is great fun, both in its humour and in its spirit. The average punter will find much to like, but those within the theatre circle will cherish it.

– Michael Cox