Written by Owen Sutcliffe

Directed by Jack Nurse

Review by Hunter King

Traverse Theatre

After a sold-out Fringe run, Wonder Fools’ Òran has returned to Edinburgh for a limited run at the Traverse Theatre. Immediately after trekking down the stairs to Traverse 2, the audience is transported to an eerie world with lo-fi-esque electronic music and a thick haze that lingers in the air. The story follows a teenager, Òran, played impeccably by Robbie Gordon, who must take an elevator to the underworld in hopes of rescuing his best friend, Ewan. 

It is clear from the very beginning that this show at one point was a Fringe production, having the informal tone one might expect during the festival. This was apparent from the moment Gordon walked on stage (prior to the show beginning) and told the audience, “Don’t worry, it hasn’t started, you can keep talking.” Gordon brings a welcoming energy into the space, interacting with audience members and even asking one lucky audience member to play his mother in the production. This playful interactive nature suitably warms the audience up, and makes them feel like they are genuinely a part of the production. This is also reflected in Benny Goodman’s lighting design, which leaves the audience partially illuminated until Òran’s descent into the underworld. Goodman’s design is nothing short of incredible, fully mesmerising the audience from the beginning, which is only amplified as Òran goes deeper into the underworld.

Gordon’s tone and delivery of the script, which is written in verse, feels like slam poetry in the best way. His energy is fed into every line, and his emphasis on alliterative passages feels intentional and cathartic. Additionally, his physical acting deserves praise, especially as he morphs into the demonic creature that guards the underworld. His delivery and overall performance had a compelling, beautiful flow to it, which allowed the audience to ride the rollercoaster of Òran’s highest and lowest moments in a way that felt authentic and relatable.

The script itself is mostly very powerful and sends a clear message, but at times can start to feel a bit heavy-handed. It is made clear from the beginning that this show is about bullying and the negative effects that peer pressure and social media can have on friends and peers. Most of this is portrayed in ways that are symbolic, such as Òran’s inability to go to sleep, or him having to confront his own internal demons, approaching them and saying, “They are horrible and not so pretty, but they are me.” There is a portion of the show, however, that approaches the topic of cyberbullying in a tone that felt unlike the rest of the performance. In this brief section of the show, it was easy to drift away from the art, as it felt like the audience was being lectured about the dangers of cellphone usage. While Gordon approached this section authentically, the writing in this part felt unnecessarily obvious, lacking the nuance of the rest of the show. This was only amplified with a long sound cue of the iPhone keyboard typing noise. 

It is worth noting, however, that there were multiple school groups that were in attendance at the show. Occasionally, I would glance over to one of the groups to see how they were responding, and to say they were captivated would be putting it lightly. In this way, the more heavy-handed moments may have resonated for others in the room than they did for me. At the times that I was reminded of the motivational speakers that would visit my high school nearly a decade ago, I could see that the message was properly getting across to the young people in the crowd. 

The show packs a lot into its short run time. Combining some incredibly impressive technical effects, many of which are seemingly controlled by Gordon during the performance, with a nonstop, powerhouse performer who invites the audience in close and never loses his grip on them. 

---