(Photo by Christine Quintana)
When he was 22, Brian Cochrane went to Barcelona. Unfortunately, he doesn’t give us much of a reason to care that he went to Barcelona when he was 22.
In this solo show, Cochrane tells us about meeting a magician who encouraged him to go to a vampire bar. He went. But his tale is never spooky or particularly interesting.
Cochrane threads his script with ideas about the unreliability of our perceptions, especially those concerning memory, love, and fear. But I’m not so suggestible that I ever believed he was in danger. And, even though they’re rhythmically presented, the many details about what he ate, where he walked, and when he smoked are not riveting.
Vampires in Barcelona is partly a portrait of naiveté, of course, and we get to see some charming slides of Cochrane sporting an unlikely set of feathered bangs.
You could not ask for a more amiable, confident presence in a performer. Really. He’s great onstage. But you could ask for a better story.
Remaining performances at the Arts Umbrella on September 10 (8:15 p.m.), 11 (10 p.m.), 13 (6:15 p.m.), 14 (8:15 p.m.), and 15 (10 p.m.) > Colin Thomas
Sign up—free!—for Colin Thomas’s FRESH SHEET and get daily reviews for the first week of the Vancouver Fringe.
And, if you want to support informed, independent criticism—you know you do—check out Colin’s Patreon campaign.
……….
0 Comments