Michael Cox reviews 'an absolute delight' of a production.
There are many ways I’m Almost There could have gone wrong. A musical journey into the absurd, Todd Almond’s musical sees a cynical man question whether he should accept a coffee from a man he met at a party the night before.
All he has to do is leave his New York flat, go down to the entrance of the building and let the man in. But his journey out his front door takes on epic proportions straight out of Homer’s The Odyssey.
Thankfully, the production is an absolute delight. With two other musicians, who underpin the songs and take on other characters, Almond’s existential journey is funny, clever and filled with knowing nods at the difficulties of making one vulnerable to letting new people into our lives. Sometimes coffee is just coffee, and other times it can be life or death, course changing and a milestone in one’s life.
Almost entirely sung, I’m Almost There is a show that knows it’s smart but leans into its intelligence. It’s knowing but also wears its heart on its sleeve. It could be accused of being slight, but that’s to discount its wit for smugness: and while it could have been up itself, in the end this musical wins out—not on bravado but on heart. Love wins.
I’m Almost there performs at Summerhall until August 26, 2024 (no performance on the 19th).
RSS