Created by Richard Jordan
Review by Eve Nugent
Pleasance Courtyard – The Attic
Who is Truman Capote? Where can one find Truman Capote? Where can one find someone similar to Truman Capote? Bob Kingdom asks such questions in this beautiful one-man show as he embodies – in the truest sense of the word – one of the most renowned American novelists of the 20th century. He warmly takes the audience by the hand to stroll along the path of his astonishing life.
Capote tells us he writes “from the ear”, proudly nodding to his ability to connect with his surroundings and enjoy the inner music that words create. We follow his story from a difficult childhood towards the toxic glamour of fame and gossip – the script is cleverly scattered with cultural and temporal references, with a sea of nodding heads at names like Harper Lee and Andy Warhol. Minimal setting and design also allows the entire focus to rest on Kingdom; he captures the author’s light and dark, success and addiction, mirroring closely Capote’s niche mannerisms and way of speaking.
At length, Capote explores the twisted background of his most famous novel In Cold Blood – he formed an obsessive bond to Perry Smith after all-encompassing research, the murderer from whom he took inspiration in his writing. Smith’s death by hanging inevitably broke Capote, affecting him for the rest of his life as he takes to drink, performed with moving subtlety. The glossy veil of superficial glory is thus removed, revealing the fractured, struggling man, evoking great empathy.
This is overall a beautiful monologue dripping with depth and poetry – each mind in the room was captivated for one hour of Kingdom’s lyrical speech. Speaking to a fellow audience member about the show left them with tears in their eyes, as they described the performance as both “touching and painfully visceral”. It is unsurprising that The Truman Capote Talk Show was the Winner of the Scotsman Fringe First in 2024.
Touching and Visceral
The Truman Capote Talk Show runs at Pleasance Courtyard – The Attic
Running time: Sixty minutes without interval
Review by Eve Nugent (contact@corrblimey.uk)
An undergraduate French student at the University of Edinburgh, Eve has a diverse interest in theatre and performance. Her primary devotion is acting, predominantly at Bedlam Theatre with her fellow students, but also with French group ‘Les Escogriffes’ who perform annually at the French Institute of Scotland.
Her creative attention stretches also to classical music, as she enjoys playing the flute, piano and guitar. She thus looks forward to watching whatever the Fringe has to offer, irrespective of genre!
