Guy Masterson’s Centre for International Theatre (CIT). Higher Ground – Feb 18 to Mar 13
Let’s get one thing clear—if you haven’t been to a CIT show in the Fringe then you have really missed out. This is a class outfit which is presenting no fewer than ten shows of exceptional quality. Pick one, any one, but make sure you go!
The Six Sided man is a complex black comedy about a psychiatrist (Nicholas Collett) who encourages his patient (Gavin Robertson, who also adapted the script from a novel) to ascribe ‘dares’ to each side of a six sided die and then roll it to make major decisions associated with the treatment he metes out. His golden rules are never identify dares that you are not prepared to follow, and never disobey the outcome of the roll of die.
The action of the play explores a counselling session where the power oscillates between doctor and patient. Who is manipulating who? Does the psychiatrist know that he is also bending to the will of the patient, does he even care? Or is this his fate and ordained by a higher power? The play explores the apparent madness that is psychiatry and it does so with humour, impressive physical performances, a minimalist but totally appropriate set–as black as the subject material–and an evocative sound scape that includes a bit of ABBA for good measure.
This is riveting theatre–it doesn’t come much better.
Kym Clayton
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