Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle – until 6th April 2024
Reviewed by Sandra Little
3***
Imaginary Friends at Alphabetti Theatre is a solo show written and performed by award winning writer-performer Daniel Bye. Daniel plays the part of a comic struggling to write amusing scripts for his television show.
After being affected by a tragic death, Daniel engages in conversation with, and finds some solace from, a group of imaginary friends. Some of the conversations Daniel has in his imaginary world are with his deceased brother who, we are told, thought people are fundamentally good. In stark contrast other imaginary conversations are with Piers Morgan and Tom Tugendhat. M.P. In these scenarios Jeremy Clarkson and Manic Street Preachers are also mentioned!
This performance which lasts about 1 ¼ hours covers a wide range of topics including government plans to send refugees to Rwanda, references to suicide, the use of artificial intelligence in the modern world. There is also a discussion between Daniel and his imaginary friends on the benefits of the total annihilation of the human race!
Alongside the “conversations” Daniel has with his friends he uses descriptive language effectively to convey a range of scenarios . The image of a cat stalking small birds is a recurring theme in the performance, as is the reaction of a crowd to the sight of someone (maybe Piers Morgan) standing on the ledge of a tall building. There is also a detailed description of an event that takes place on The Underground in London.
Animated storytelling skills and a high energy solo performance raise diverse questions and observations about our relationships, climate change and the extinction of the human race! Dan asks if the death of a loved one is the same as the end of the world for example, he suggests that if the human race was wiped out we would reach net zero quite quickly and also maintains that, “if you let yourself fall people will catch you.” This latest offering from Alphabetti certainly leaves the audience with plenty of thought provoking material.
In terms of props to assist with his delivery, Dan relies on a Costa coffee cup and a Monster Munch crisp packet!
To enable everyone to engage with theatre Alphabetti have a “Pay what you feel” policy for some performances and this policy applies to Imaginary Friends until Saturday 23rd March.