Review of his latest storytelling show at the Royal Exchange, Manchester,

It’s only been three months since Daniel Kitson unveiled his last show, Collaborator, an innovative premise with more-or-less every member of the audience given their own script. 

Now he’s on a ten-night run of his new show Pith at Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre, that’s not quite billed as work in progress, but also not NOT billed as a work in progress. Rather it’s the first iteration of the prolific writer’s latest idea, described as a ‘storytelling experiment’,  served up for public consumption.  He dips in and out of a notebook stuffed with Post-it Notes – which he concedes isn’t the most reassuring look for audiences – while admitting that at least one of the preview gigs last week was an absolute stinker.

Pith is based around two narrative strands. A woman reluctantly drawn into conversation with a stranger on a bus today, and a chance encounter on a clifftop 20 years ago. Familiar Kitson themes are present as the stories concern solitary people connecting in slightly whimsical ways, with the analogue technology of cassette tapes playing a pivotal role in the plot.  The main topic under consideration in both scenarios is whether you can absolutely  get to know someone, or whether it’s even worth the effort trying.

In truth, the stories aren’t particularly substantial, but they are rich in detail and Kitson’s trademark phrasemaking, delightful, candid and funny in equal measure. There are especially great metaphors for having babies and for long-term relationships, slightly similar ideas but very nicely put.

He often breaks out from the narrative to have a chat about how the gig’s going, how he came up with the ideas and their execution. Partly this is connected to the still-raw nature of the project, but it’s also intrinsic to it. These interludes, and ultimately the show itself, is about storytelling itself, from the glimpses of other lives that inspire him to the skill in creating dialogue more artful than how people actually talk. It’s a craft to make messy reality into something that’s, well, pithy.

If that sounds a bit pretentious, it isn’t. Kitson’s ever-alert to such pitfalls and he’s as much comedian as theatre-maker in this show – probably more so – and throws in a handful of self-deprecating lines for every potentially pompous one. Meanwhile, his commentary on how this particular gig is going keeps things in the moment.

How much of this is scripted and not is slippery to get a handle on, as what sounds like improvised chat gives way to  sharper routines or analogies – the one about a ladybird walking across the screen of a smartphone is an especially apt and memorable one.

Kitson may question the real value of turning such a neat image or phase phrase, but if nothing else, it’s entertaining. Even in a show which is still rough around the edges, at least some of which is by design.

• Pith by Daniel Kitson is at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, until Saturday. Details.

Review date: 22 Oct 2024
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Manchester Royal Exchange Theatre