Tonight (8 March) until Saturday (10 March), 8pm, £15 (concs £6-11), Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh. Tel: 0131 228 1404/226 2666. www.traverse.co.uk
‘The less you know going in, the better,’ tweeted author Neil Gaiman about this show.
Really? OK, let’s say you turn up either tonight, Friday or Saturday. You only know its title. What would you expect to see?
Correct, you’d have absolutely no idea. And in an era of pay freezes and rising living costs, does Gaiman think you’ll take a punt like this? What year does he think it is – 2006?
It also seems to have slipped his mind that there are people out there – like me – who are employed to inform you lot about stuff like this.
So I reckon there are a few things you ought to know before reaching for your wallet.
Firstly, it’s a double bill of dark comedy plays.
Penned by Tim Primrose, Chow Mein focuses on Terry and Susan – a couple who’ve been getting the same Chinese takeaway for three years. They’re comfortable with their lives and each other, until they receive a strange surprise with an order.
Hex takes place in the ‘perfect’ home of Gwen and Toby, who, despite their material wealth, are discontent with life. Co-written by Primrose and Sam Siggs, this quirky satire lampoons our obsession with seeking inner calm.
Chow Mein and Hex have enjoyed great successes as stand-alone plays at previous Fringes, but the inspired decision to combine them into an evening of provocative humour at the Traverse was taken by Edinburgh theatre company Strangetown.
Maybe I was a little harsh on Gaiman. After all, he’s got your best interests at heart – as have I – and we both strongly recommend this most intriguing work of drama.
