Swimming to Cambodia: without spalding

The audience for this show will divide between those who saw Spalding Gray himself perform (well, speak) this, on DVD or even at the Cultch about 20 years ago, and those coming new to the script.

Gray almost invented and definitely popularized the autobiographical monologue in the 1980s. He sat throughout behind a table and talked, trusting pointful material and some actor's charisma. Though we saw his facial expressions and hand gestures, content what was mattered. In this case, his experience as a small-part actor in 1983 in The Killing Fields. His narrative includes his auditions with the director, the American role in Cambodia, Pol Pot, R and R in Phuket and Bangkok, and his girl friend Rene. The chunks of reminiscence are disconnected, brought together as Gray's journey through his consciousness. Some is comic, but more is about discontent, self-deprecation, his search for the 'perfect moment.'  The script addresses Americans (know what your government is up to) and the events discussed are now history, rather than close.

Gray lived these events. Shawn Watson in Vancouver this week has learned the 75-minute text. In other words, T J Dawe performing A Canadian Bartender at Butlin's is different from anyone else pretending to have been a Canadian bartender at Butlin's.

Watson is younger than Gray. Watson stays close to Gray's manner (he doesn't do the accent of a South African friend as well as Gray did), compelling attention with quiet and loud, slow and fast, at times very fast.

I interviewed Watson. He saw the DVD four years ago and was immediately attracted, seeing close affinities between Gray's attitudes and worldview and his own.   So he became the first to learn the script (others have done rehearsed readings). He watched the DVD several times. This is the seventh 'incarnation.' He has performed this over a three-year period, between 30 and 40 times in Victoria and Nova Scotia.

Seating in Origins is on a flat floor. As Watson sits throughout, sight-lines are poor, so try to choose your seat carefully.

Swimming to Cambodia is on as part of this year's Vancouver Fringe. For more information swim here.