66a Church Road – A Lament Made of Memories and Kept in Suitcases by Daniel Kitson
The stage of Daniel Kitson’s show 66a Church Road – A lament, made of memories and kept in suitcases, was strewn with suitcases of many shapes & sizes. The suitcases provided lighting, set and many other surprises during the play. It’s a very cool set, very romantic & sweet too, but not terribly practical. The suitcases held tiny dioramas that only showed up through lighting and we could barely see some of them in the second row. Daniel made up for this by telling everyone at the end to come up to the front row and have a look before they left. Daniel always lets you know that he’s thinking about his audience’s welfare, which is very endearing.
Daniel has taken the form of his story shows to tell a deeply personal story of his relationship with his old flat. Not unlike the story of a relationship with a woman, he falls in love with the flat despite its many flaws and is broken hearted when he must inevitably part with it. As he explained, he was in the flat longer than he’s been with any woman, it was the longest relationship he had ever had. It was a story about love, memories of dreams and unfulfilled plans and how bloody frustrating life can be at times.
The importance of a home for Daniel is obvious, as he travels the world so much there must be strong need for the familiar and cosy spot. Being single and abundantly romantic, it is not surprising that he romanticises the flat. He speaks of how he loves old wonky things, they must be such a pleasant contrast to a cold anonymous hotel.
Breaking up the ‘scenes’ or chapters of the story were some pre-recorded memories of living in the flat. They referred to a relationship with a woman, but they could have been memories from different relationships.
This was such an intimate story that there were times when I felt amazed at being allowed into this private world, but he was so friendly and open, with witty and naughty asides that he made us feel very comfortable. I don’t wish to give too much away, as you should see it yourself. A beautiful one man play, of course, funny, sweet and sad but ultimately uplifting. A great show to take someone you love. Daniel Kitson is always a must see, he‘s matured into such a brilliant playwright that you can be assured a wonderful evening.
Visit the Fringe Website for booking details.