The Shallow Entertainment Tour

• David Kettle
• 8 August 2018

This article is from 2018

Sadly not quite escaping the title's warning

The show's intended performer, Sören Bergen, is unable to be with us, the hesitant stand-in narrator informs us – he's currently stuck in Norway for murky legal reasons. The narrator has never seen the show's script before, and he's about to read for the first time its tender tale of lost love in the small Norwegian town of Faukhan. His pre-show explanation, however, also comes with warnings about the veracity of what we're about to hear, and whether we can actually believe a word of it.

This solo show charts a storytelling path that's been trod many times before at the Fringe, of a quirky, sweetly sentimental story of young love. It's made more complex by its elusive narrative, in which facts seem to slip from grasp under examination. What, for instance, did Sören do that was so wrong it made his beloved Mona run away?

Nevertheless, the rather flat delivery, despite frequent interactions with the audience, struggles to sustain interest, especially at the show's late timeslot. This is a thoughtful creation about truth, rumour and identity, but rather too low-key for its own good.

Underbelly Bristo Square, until 26 Aug (not 15), 10.50pm, £9–£10 (£8–£9).