Full Circle

“Do you think all modern art is pointless?” asks Simeon. In this part-tour, part-theatrical spectacle, it is this the audience is asked to ponder. Guided through the woodlands at the foot of Arthur’s seat, intrepid groups are taken on a physical and psychological journey through the lives of four characters. Throwing theatrical convention into disarray, Full Circle is as compelling as it is unsettling.

Split into four separate monologues that overlap at various points, the production begins with Simeon, a romantic idealist who tells of the secret thrill he gets from “listening to a woman urinate.” The other three characters comprise Angela, an ambitious actress seeking to star in a “Princess of Ikea campaign,” Andreas, a bitter producer, and Tyrone, a man tormented by his own isolation. All are strong when commanding their own stage, but the most arresting moments come in the movement from monologue to dialogue. Here audience members must adapt from their role as the addressees of a monologue to their new, second fiddle position as the observers of an engaged dialogue. Passivity is not an option.

The weakness of this production lies in the script: the monologues drift off too readily into abstract concepts which scream ferocious attempts at poignancy. Simeon’s revelation that “happiness is circles. Sadness is corners,” is more self-congratulatory in tone than it is probing.

That said, it’s not every day you're invited to amble through woodland with four complete strangers and it's an undoubtedly engaging experience. A word of warning however: go when the weather is nice or you may well end up wishing you'd not bothered.