“A well thought out idea that lacks some clarity in its execution”
Not There Yet follows two women on a car trip, moving through a gamified universe that begins to blur the walls of reality and fiction. Memories become entangled and lost as the journey continues, stopping and starting, but ultimately going nowhere.
The show is performed by Shanghai Wu and Mengwanyi Cheng. Both do a good job in building likable characters who never find certainty. They both move well on the stage, and alter the set to develop an interesting world. The set and lighting design of Sicen Liu, Ai Yu and Yuan Wang is gorgeous. They create blocks that act to build a beautiful scape for the actors to play around, and are well directed by Changchang Zhang. This all works together to create something rather engaging.
The piece falters in its writing. It is often confusing and quite vague. We are never fully certain where we are or who indeed the characters are. We can guess these people are friends but other than that, there is very little relationship building. In this sense, it all feels a little messy. The script could do with some refining to reach its full potential.
There are lots of good ideas in this piece. While some are effective, such as the slightly surreal and moveable staging, some overcrowd the piece and only work to snap the audience away from the story. One such part in particular was the use of a remote control car to signal we are driving or stopping. Seeming to be an effort at a Brechtian device, it falls flat, and the toy cars often went where it was not meant to. A look to minimise some of the elements would help the effectiveness of the piece.
Overall, this is a good idea that carries a lot of intrigue. Reynard Theatre brings us something that isn’t quite fully developed yet. More a work in progress that is yet to live up to its full potential.
Show Listing: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/not-there-yet
LISTINGS INFORMATION:
Venue: Forest Theatre at Greenside @ George Street
Dates: 24th – 29th August
Time: 11.30
Ticket prices: £10.00/ concessions £8.00
Fringe box office: 0131 226 0000 / www.edfringe.com
Suitable for 12+ (Guideline)