Shopping for Shoes

Tim Crouch
Visible Fictions Theatre Company
Part of the Royal Bank of Scotland's International Children's Festival St. Bride's Centre
(2006)

Production photograph

The audience seemed a bit on the young side for some of the content of this play, particularly the swearing - which the nine-year-old in my party found just as shocking as the adults.

The piece, which focuses around two teens - one with a sneaker/shoe collection worth over four grand, the other with plastic, animal-friendly sandals and a keen sense of humour - is slow-paced but held the audience's attention, while the intro seemed designed more to make the adults in the group relax.

Lone performer Darcy carries the show, helped by both the music and by Mark Leese's clever set design (his work can also be seen in the Traverse's current tour of Gorgeous Avatar).

Given its language and some of the themes, Shopping for Shoes feels appropriate for ages 12-15, although by that point teens might be looking for a slightly more complex narrative. The pop-culture morality and political awareness seemed shoehorned in beside Tim Crouch's elegant dialogue.

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Reviewer: Rachel Lynn Brody

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