The Man Who Talks to Statues – Dublin Fringe Festival – Review

The Civic Theatre – 5th – 11th of September

Darryl is a young man living a solitary life. He lives at home with his parents and spends his days in the attic recording ads for radio shows. One night he is travelling to meet a young woman he has been talking to on an app. He’s on the road to Kanturk when disaster strikes! He is in a crash that topples his car.  This sets in motion a madcap journey, as Darryl travels from Cork to Limerick and eventually Dublin, meeting some unusual people along the way!

This is a new one-man show written and starring Shane Casey. While his name may not be familiar, his face is well known as he plays Billy Murphy in the popular TV show The Young Offenders.

This is quite a complex piece with Daryll interacting with various voices and other recordings, along with visuals on the screens. The set has a split level with several screens and other oddities such as Daryll’s recording equipment and some small statues.

The story has a magical realism element, and it becomes a flight of fancy with Daryll talking to the statues he encounters along his journey.  Most of these are celebrities who are commemorated in their home cities,  such as Terry Wogan, Richard Harris and even Phil Lynott.

The story is a freewheeling and wild journey that moves at quite a clip. It is sometimes difficult to follow as it moves quickly between location and characters.  While it doesn’t offer anything particularly original, it does deliver gags and a few interesting ideas.  The central premise of the statues coming to life gives some magical moments. It is a device for Shane Casey to show his skills in creating characters and he is impressive, holding the audience’s attention throughout.