Unexpected Guests - An Attempted Conspiracy of Mythological Proportions

Don’t invite yourself. It started pleasantly enough. Coyote (Kaylin Metchie) met us at the edge of the playing space and invited us in to the House of Raven, recommending which seat we should take. Coyote explained some of the customs and expectations of us as invited guests in Raven's home. Raven (Ridley Wallace) arrives shortly thereafter and begins to tell his story of how he created the Earth and man. He never gets to complete his story however because he is rudely interrupted by Morgan (Leonie Armstrong) who appears nosily on his doorstep and demands to be let in. 

Written, directed and starring Leonie Armstrong, Unexpected Guests is an ambitious work. It attempts to combine many of the stories from First Nation and Celtic oral traditions into one tale. The play is meant, I think, to be an exploration into which of these mythical figures had the most impact and was the most relevant in charting Earth's history. The script however meanders and I found it to be not much more then a convoluted hodgepodge of unrelated myths and legends from these two great cultures. The play quickly collapses on itself as the characters get stuck in an endless loop of one-upmanship, bogged down by mundane dialogue that does nothing to explain or move the story forward. 

One of the Fringe’s BYOV offerings this production appeared to be specifically written and designed for the Net Loft. Through the course of the play I was struck by what an odd choice this was. The set, comprised of a chair and a small campfire, was arranged around the pole in the centre of the room. However much of the action was directed down the hallway or behind the pole. I constantly found myself twisted in my seat trying in vain to see the actors. 

And then it seemed just to end. 

Myself and the other audience members looked at each other uncomfortably wondering if it was over. We departed once the usher blessedly informed us we were free to go. 

There are plenty of great offerings at this year’s Fringe Festival. I’m sorry to say this isn’t one of them.