There’s a reason that Samuel Beckett’s Waiting For Godot remains so popular today; the art of absurdity may not be to everyone’s taste, but when it’s done well there’s an undeniable wonder to it. Very much in the vein of Beckett and Godot, PigPen productions bring Deuteronomy to Zoo Southside this Edinburgh Fringe.
A roadside beggar meets a traveling pilgrim, dragging behind him a heavy coffin. We never learn their names (though they are credited as The Beggar and The Man). The beggar thumbs through a bible, searching for a verse that has become stuck in his head, perhaps it’s from Deuteronomy or perhaps it’s from Leviticus. It’s immaterial because in this desolate land where distant bombs are exploding, everything is open to interpretation.
The pilgrim, pulling death behind him, has a flamboyant air, bouncing around the stage while both flattering and challenging the beggar, who by contrast remains largely sitting and alternates between a calm and violent exterior.
The pair discuss everything and nothing, mostly under the context of apples and peaches. As is the case with this kind of drama, conversations are circuitous and rambling, yet seem to fit the narrative the audience has written in their own heads.
Deuteronomy is a comedy, and there are definitely some very funny moments, but it could be argued this is more of a tragedy (depending on your own chosen narrative) but then perhaps that’s just comparing apples with peaches again.
Freddie Houlahan paints a striking character as the Beggar, the audience finding they trust him almost from the off. Jo Rich is magical as The Man, giving a gloriously energetic performance filled with wit and sadness, Rich also gives a captivating monologue towards the end which is worth the ticket price alone.
Charlie Thurston’s script ebbs and flows just as a good absurd piece should, the writing is so good it could even be mistaken for Beckett, but what is unmistakable is the talent on display in this production of Deuteronomy.
