Trans Canada Highway

A bunch of us from work went up to Edinburgh last night to see Tom in the play Trans Canada Highway. It’s been getting a slating in the press of late with the Scotsman listing it as one of the top 3 shows to avoid at the Festival.

And with good cause. Even a man of Tom’s comedy skills barely managed to lift this beyond soul destroying.

The show basically involves Victoria, a pretty Australian lassie reminiscing about creeps who have given her lifts.

The premise of the show seems to be – “Isn’t it awful that we pretty lassies have to deal with ugly creeps?”

Someone should really tell Victoria (the writer and main performer) that judging people on their looks and assuming it’s a given that everyone thinks she’s a ride are character flaws, not the basis of a hit play.

Had there been any self deprecation at all, it may have been a diverting if unoriginal look at sexual politics or even about the struggle we all seem to have with communicating with one another.

But sadly the play such as it was came over more like an arrogant diary entry along the lines of “How dare these ugly bastards even try it on with me? I’m gorgeous! Can’t they see that?”

Tom battled manfully with his various parts and amused as a ridiculously overblown French stereotype but the other two performers pretty much failed to show up for me.

Victoria as I understand it never intended to be in it so the wisdom of her carrying the bulk of the show is questionable to say the least – she had the odd funny line, but just didn’t have the timing required to deliver it. The other guy in it wasn’t up to much either, and seemed to struggle with his lines.

All in all very bad, but you have to give this lassie some credit for at least having the guts to get up there.

The only consolation is that I’ve seen acclaimed productions of much more celebrated shows that haven’t been a lot better.

After the show of course I was completely unable to be honest with the lassie when she asked my opinion. Graeme had no such foibles, which was quite funny.

Some nice folk gave me a beer and chatted to me on the way home, so all’s well that ends well.