Tree

A while back, The Minx and I went up to Glasgow to watch the recording of a TV show. Afterwards we took advantage of the fact we were in Glasgow to meet up with David Callaghan, whom I'd previously met at the Edinburgh festival.

It's great talking to David; he's a stand-up comedian but also a comedy fanatic. I come away from talking to him with mental lists of things to see and people to check out. And I'm pretty sure that when we were chatting in Glasgow, he mentioned Daniel Kitson.

Then, a few weeks ago, Dom and I went to see David performing at the Comedy Store in Manchester. David was great and afterwards we met him for a drink. While we were talking about his act, he mentioned that he was very influenced by Daniel Kitson and, again, I made a note to seek him out.

And then, out of the blue, a friend of mine, Janet, texted me last week and said I should go and see Daniel Kitson at the Royal Exchange in 'Tree'. It was like the universe was conspiring for me to get some Daniel Kitson into my life! So, I bought some tickets and invited some friends to come along: Dom, The Minx and the lovely Kez. And by a *further* coincidence, it turned out that Dom and The Minx had been talking about going along already.

So, we met up at the Royal Exchange and while we were having a pre-match stiffener, I nipped off for a peep into the auditorium and took this photo. I couldn't help noticing there was a tree in there, a fact which delighted The Minx no end.

Our seats were seriously elevated - this was the view from them - but this would not prove to detract from our enjoyment (or otherwise!). As we watched, Daniel Kitson and Tim Key got ready, the former climbing up into the tree and the latter removing the ladder. And then we were ready to start.

The play was amazing! The writing was wonderful: tight, natural dialogue that flowed between the two men with an effortlessness that spoke of plenty of rehearsal. It veered between a totally believeable banter and laugh out loud funny (of which more in a moment), whilst at times suddenly becoming quite poignant and even sombre.

If I had one issue - and I did - it was the near constant laughter from the audience. It's not that it wasn't funny in places - and it was almost constantly witty - but people were laughing at lines that (it seemed to me) weren't meant to be laughed at. It quickly became irritating, as you can see from The Minx's review. It reminded me of when I bought the first series of M.A.S.H on DVD and, after one episode, realised that I wouldn't be able to watch it because of the canned laughter.

But it didn't stop me enjoying the show, although the sudden weight of The Minx's head on my shoulder did stop me fidgeting as much as I normally like to. Both men were brilliant in their roles, perfectly sustaining them as they moved deftly between patter and pathos.

I do wish it hadn't finished quite so abruptly, though: the revelation that Key's character had a girlfriend wasn't properly explored. But I liked the twist and came away satisfied.

I am a theatre newby, really. My fear of live performances - other than musical - has kept me away from theatre for many, many years but I loved this evening's show. The writing was electric and I can't imagine anyone delivering the material any better than Mssrs Kitson and Key. It's a YES from me!