Blessed is she, who in the name of in-flight service puts up with our relentlessly silly questions and our inability to make up our minds, for she is truly the passengers keeper and the finder of lost baggage. She does all this for a low wage and the chance for a more exotic death of either being blown up, crashing into a mountain, or being irritated to death by the passengers who can’t decide between an almond rocca or a brownie as an in flight snack.
This cathartic performance is obviously based on the trials and tribulations of a trolley dolly and reveals the secrets of the trade that we possibly shouldn’t be privy to. Narrated by a real life flight attendant of 16 years experience with all the tricks of the trade and the lingo down pat Around the World in a Bad Mood opens you’re eyes to the world of air travel – now we know what “I’ll be right back” really means!
This is a show well worth seeing, especially if you are a frequent flyer, as you will never dither over in-flight meals or baggage compartments again. Fosse is witty and sharp and keeps her narrative fresh with a combination of characters, sickbag Shakespeare and integrated video. As a special treat she has even included a video of her first acting job in a terrible daytime soap as…that’s right, you guessed it! A flight attendant.
Around the World in a Bad Mood has lots of nice touches and observations that make it an enjoyable show, but you do get the feeling that Fosse is holding back. Given that you have to endure seating that would make even the most budget airline seat seem spacious, it might be worth reading her novel instead. Coincidentally, Around the World in a Bad Mood is available in the Gilded Balloon Box Office and in good airport book shops world-wide.
3/5
Steven Carey
