The youngest Pitman, carrying too much
Sleeping on one of the benches in Zoo Playground, where the space used to be a classroom, Luke Pitman, one member of the fictional Pitman family, welcomes us to his debut show, TheHouse of Pitman.
In Pitman’s own words, the Pitmans are a big family, including Police Pitman, Soldier Pitman, Doctor Pitman, Nurse Pitman and, of course, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor Pitman. Soon after an “unexpected” incident, the youngest member of the Pitman family, Little Pitman, needs to take the stage for the first time and make his family proud. On the night I attended, there happened to be a birthday girl in the audience, who was asked to participate in the show and received the usual stripper treatment, including cake and balloons.
Later, Little Pitman was asked to do the suitcase, as the scene requires him to dress up as the captain of a flight. He asks an audience member to put him into the suitcase and squeeze him inside. Here, he shows incredible skills, not only in squeezing himself into the suitcase, getting out of it and moving around inside the limited space, but also in delivering the awkwardness of the performance. His messy way of forgetting things, spilling beer on the floor and then smiling while trying to clean up the mess he has made suggests that there could be something deeply unsettling underneath his performance.
The House of Pitman is not only an engaging show, but also attempts to discuss the expectations placed on a character like Little Pitman. His uncanny smile remains on his face, while from time to time we see a more relaxed version of him when he tries to sit with the audience. Yet, with the haunting voice of a senior member of the Pitman family, one cannot help but expect more exploration of his life as the youngest member of a family with such a long history.
Show Listing:
LISTINGS INFORMATION
Venue: Zoo Playground
Dates: 24th–30th August
Time: 20:35
Ticket prices: £13.5 / Concession £11.5
Fringe box office: 0131 226 0000 / www.edfringe.com
Age suitability: 16+ (Guideline)