James is now 28 and he’s getting reflective. Utilising the 7 Up series as a backdrop, Dowdeswell replays the situations of his life to date and contemplates upon their significance in his development.
For those of you unfamiliar with this programme, it charts the lives of people from child to adulthood returning to them every 7 years to check on their progress. James does this himself in retrospect by using birthday badges to revisit his former years and looks at himself through his 7-, 14-, and 21-year-old eyes.
Gently moving from story to gag to a little audience interaction and back again, he shares his life with us in a jolly way. With a quiet confidence and well held structure the hour flys by.
Arguably it could be said that he lacks bite but when you tune in to his touching and gentle world you are rewarded with a sharper wit than you initially gave him credit for. He seems to lack the guile of some other performers and so when he tells you he enjoys conversing with a local homeless gentleman, you believe him, as it is clearly not theatrical device. The show has shaggy dog stories in it, but these are clearly signposted.
On leaving Dowdeswell’s presence you feel warm and. if it wasn’t for the fact I had to run to another show, I would have felt tranquil and tickled. Thank you James.
3/5
Peter Rates
