An intriguing show built with warmth
Trying to quantify just what ASURA is is challenging. It seems to be part theatre, part ted talk, part sermon, part performance art piece. Frankly, it is something new and interesting that is maybe still figuring out exactly what it is while playing out in front of your eyes.
We enter the room to Wayne Stewart crocheting and chatting. Stewart has a natural warmth that is inviting and engaging all in the same breath. He is a wonderful and talented storyteller that keeps you with him throughout the performance.
The show follows Stewart’s search for Enlightenment, which seems stop/start as life gets in the way. Eventually, he creates an AI that sets goals and helps him focus in on his journey, but this only seems to move him further from his end goals.
Stewart’s own relationship with AI is an interesting plot point. It seems to be a love/hate relationship that eventually fully sours, as he realises the detrimental nature of making this journey a goal orientated endeavour. This, in the end, does lead him to some kind of enlightenment, even if it is not the kind he set out to find.
It’s very hard to come to a conclusion for this show. It is still trying to find out what it is, and is in its infancy. However, it felt truly unique, and something that I had not previously experienced. Maybe this is a kind of genuine experience that we need more of. I was handed a noise making stick, to stop Stewart any time he began to become too performative. I did not need it once.
As Stewart continues on his journey, so will this show, and it can only go from strength to strength.
Show Listing: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/asura-an-enlightenment-experiment
LISTINGS INFORMATION:
Venue: ZOO Southside – Studio
Dates: 7th – 30th August (Not 11th, 18th, 25th)
Time: 17.55
Ticket prices: £12.50 / concessions £10.00
Fringe box office: 0131 226 0000 / www.edfringe.com
Suitable for 16+ (Guideline)