The Cuckoo’s Nest (venue 106)
Aug 3-27  (20.00)

Script:  Stagecraft:  Performance:

Dick Spacey, private investigator, needs to solve a psychedelic, murder mystery packed in a labyrinth of puns, and he is taking us along for the case. We travel through time and space within a futuristic, film noir set, interrogating suspects and even suspecting ourselves of the murder. Dick uses an array of wacky props to bring the show to life and involves his audience in a fun, fun way. In a recent interview with The Mumble, the man behind the mask, Steve Attridge, described the play in his own words as being a;

Seriously bonkers piece of comic theatre about an intergalactic film noir detective hunting a murderer through space. Dick Spacey, the main character, has multiple selves and cannot always distinguish between himself and others and has bizarre and powerful relationships with inanimate objects and invisible presences. It’s psychologically a bit surreal and bizarrely physical in terms of language and action. Someone said the character is like Tom Waits on amphetamines.

The most impressive part of the show is the language used by Mr Attridge; there is a pun in nearly every sentence and I was in awe of the linguistic gymnastics. The poetry of the script was ever apparent and delightful to listen to. I felt like I was running along a track with Dick, and each time he slipped in a homonym I would slide into a new universe and laugh and continue on with the show. Dick’s one man universe invites you to exercise your imagination and you feel a new appreciation for the elasticity of the English language. For the potential punters out there, Dick in Space is a silly and entertaining journey to a delightfully mysterious world, & one which you will take with abundant cheerfulness!

Reviewer : Michael Beeson