Holden Street Theatres – The Arch, Monday, February 17
A middle-class white man’s midlife crisis launches him from perfect family life into the Peruvian jungle for a drug-laden self-discovery. Initially this real-life story sounds dangerous; selfish; indulgent. Why should we care? Yet we do, drawn in by deft and humorous storytelling, strong staging and quality acting, but, moreover, by the unflinching exposure of male vulnerability and character flaws in the theatre’s unforgiving spotlight. It may have taken a journey far, far away from a world where men are expected to be emotionally strong, to be able to reveal such vulnerability and shame with a rare, raw and moving honesty, but even an older man engaging in experimental theatre – usually the preserve of younger artists – is also part of being vulnerable. This powerful, dark play, so typical of Holden Street Theatres, is ultimately an intoxicating offering which invites you to reflect on your own life… do you dare? Rating: **** The Boat Goes Over The Mountain continues at Holden Street Theatres’ The Arch until Sunday, February 23. *This review also appears on Rip It Up
