Working with the male mental health charity CALM, Rascal Theatre have produced a sweet play depicting a series of encounters between two strangers at a bus stop. Gradually, as our two protagonists get to know one another, we see the cracks that lie behind each of their facades, with the pressure Martin feels to “be strong” in the face of his mother’s illness dominating proceedings. Beyond the skill of the actors, perhaps the greatest strength of the play is its understatement; it resists any temptation to overly artifice proceedings or to escalate things too far. Rather, we see the simple acts of kindness for what they are, and we respond to the sincerity, the honesty, that they show.

C cubed, until 28 Aug.
tw rating 4/5 | [Andy Leask]