Out of The Loop - Three Tier Theatre

It's achingly familiar; 'the dreaded commute', as Out of The Loop's synopsis summarises, can give rise to many an interesting story, but none quite like this. Two strangers wait on a train platform bench for the 08:30 to London Paddington, but as delay after delay ensues, they find that they have a much larger, albeit still temporal, problem on their hands. As the drama unfolds, their story becomes ever more entangled by hints of their interconnected lives beyond the station, the duo cast members' sheer excellence for comic timing making each twist and turn ever more hilarious.

It must be said that the production's execution is limited by its being held in such a small area, since the stage space is simply not enough for this show, but ultimately that's all technicalities. The simplicity of the whiteboard and pen used to capture the commuters' progressively frustrated inner monologue and add a sense of timing to the escapade, is hugely effective in increasing the absurdity of the piece whilst simultaneously adding to its off-the-wall humour.

Written by Rowena Price.