BONUS REVIEW - TES

I had seen Steve Larkin’s Fringe show N.O.N.C.E. last year, and it had made me realize something I hadn’t before: I don’t know how to appreciate poetry. Knowing my shortcoming, I entered the Revue Theatre ready to devote all of my concentration to the lightning fast wordsmith, hoping to make better sense of his work this year. To my delight, such an effort was not needed and I was completely absorbed throughout the one-man play.
 
TES tells the story of Kester Byron, who is a direct descendant of Lord Byron, and his trials with his family and school as a teenager, then his tribulations with work and romance as an adult. It is meant to be loosely based on Tess of the d’Ubervilles by Thomas Hardy, which I have not read. The play feels so thoroughly modern that I am intrigued to find out how the themes of the book were incorporated into Steve’s story.
 
When we first meet Kes, his best friend is on the verge of having a crack gang after him, his dad has just lost his only source of income, and his mom is trying to push her son towards a better future. Luckily, Kes’s school is to be part of the Super Teacher Scheme, where the best teachers are moved to the worst schools. The class is English Literature, and the teacher is far too excited about Kes’s relation to Lord Byron. All of these elements lead to chase scenes, possible incarceration, poetry slams, and Glastonbury Festivals. The message repeated throughout is that we make our own future, although the journey itself feels inevitable.
 
The portrayal of the characters is done with energy and finesse. Steve is a wonder onstage, handling with ease the transitions between conversing characters and narration. This deserves to be a popular show, and I am glad that I did not miss it.