Written by Yilong Liu
Review by Dominic Corr
The Pleasance Courtyard - Below : Tickets
When the only surviving keepsakes of someone you deeply care for passes are their 179 hyper-critical, lyrical, and downright inspirational (for us lot) restaurant Yelp reviews, there will be a draw for those left behind to fill in the missing answers. Two years after Archie's death, his parents have been sending care packages to Archie's then-partner, Andrew, a custom that Archie appreciates but is unfamiliar with in his Western mindset. Seeking to pay tribute to his son, Raymond arrives in the US armed with an idea: a glorious, life-affirming idea, and he wants Andrew's help.
Inherently, this is a fantastic concept—one with longevity and the opportunity to become something remarkably special. It is an intergenerational and intercontinental adventure and genuine poignancy as a father and ex-partner travel the cities of America sampling and collating all the meals that Archie had reviewed, scathing or otherwise.
It's nearly unattainable for the show to conjure the concept's colour, texture, and spirit in its present state; the photographer set-up set a canny idea, entirely drained of colour and movement, however, and proves to be more of a hindrance to getting around. Yilong Liu's writing comes over artificially as the set in moments; a show doesn't tell attitude. A very much tell don't show.
The most vital elements are when Charles Hsu'sarchie makes a re-appearance, often reciting the reviews from the collection or filling in the gaps and behind-the-scenes of the experiences at the bars and restaurants. It's where utilising a voice helps rather than hinders. Unfortunately, Eric Elizaga and Ephraim Birney have to pick up a lot of the narrative slack with drawn-out conversations, which dips the momentum and strips back the creative mindset.
In drawing some inspiration from the Chinese Classic Of Mountains And Seas, there's a subtle flavour to the text – a touch too slight, to then be overpowered by the writing's exposition. Beneath the fluff, the side dishes, the accompanying bread-basket design to fluff out the narrative, and the unnecessary seasonings – there's a sensational concept here. One that, like the best dishes, needs to be stripped back to the raw ingredients of concept, strong performers, and some much-needed additional creative elements to spice the whole thing up and bring out the best of it's cast: The Books of Mountains and Seas already has the first two of these, so let's hope that a second course can be a triumphant one.
Review by Dominic Corr (contact@corrblimey.uk)
Editor for Corr Blimey, and a freelance critic for Scottish publications, Dominic has been writing freelance for several established and respected publications such as BBC Radio Scotland, The List, The Skinny, Edinburgh Festival Magazine, The Reviews Hub, In Their Own League, and The Wee Review. As of 2023, he is a member of the Critic's Award for Theatre Scotland (CATS) and a member of the UK Film Critics.
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