Presented by Trick of the Light Theatre
Review by Hunter King
After ascending the church tower of Assembly Roxy, the audience is met with a room with low-watt institutional lighting, an x-ray machine, and a whole lot of baggage. Through the film noir style haze a figure enters, looking mysterious and perhaps a bit malicious (Ralph McCubbin Howell). He is interrogated by a bored security agent (Hannah Smith) about the odd items in his bags. What unfolds is an hour of intermedial wonder told through drastically varying vignettes.
Trick of the Light Theatre has an awe-inspiring production on their hands with Suitcase Show, blending dark and sinister storytelling with bright and funny clowning, and hitting every genre in between.
McCubbin Howell is a masterful storyteller, both as the performer and as the writer of the show. He manages to tell varying stories using different techniques. Some stories like the one that involves hand puppets uses very few words (namely “business” and “dead”); meanwhile others like “The Autocrat” are entirely verbalized using dialogue that is well thought out and consistent with the tone of the vignette.
McCubbin Howell and Smith join forces in a manner that utilizes everyday items in ways that spark genuine wonder. An absolute standout is the story “the astronaut” which cleverly uses projections on a viewgraph (throwback to the early 2000’s for those who remember these) in a way that is unlike anything that one could imagine.
The story itself remains engaging and genuinely can jump from one story to another without missing a beat or having any sense of disjointed timing. The tone of the show also constantly shifts and finds a striking balance between the macabre and the hilarious. The show achieves the unlikely here at the Fringe, with incredible technical theatre showcased in a small venue, and still keeps a focus on the storytelling.
There is no doubt that Trick of the Light Theatre has a high degree of excellence and that both Suitcase Show and their other offering The Book Binder (which has a limited three day run) will find lots of success, and perhaps a few smuggled items in their luggage, here at the Fringe.
Awe-Inspiring
Suitcase Show runs Venue 139, Upstairs at Assembly Roxy at 11:45
Running time – Fifty-five minutes
Review by Hunter King (contact@corrblimey.uk)
Hunter is a 2024 Master’s graduate of the University of Edinburgh and current doctoral candidate with a thesis focused on experimental theatre in Edinburgh. He has been a theatre practitioner for over a decade having worked in many capacities including as a director, actor, stage manager, front of house manager, and technician as well as others. Prior to moving to Edinburgh, Hunter was a high school English teacher in the United States. His passion for the written word as well as his passion for live performance are what motivated him to become a writer for this publication.
