Edinburgh 2022: Review: LEARNING TO FLY, Summerhall

Learning to Fly is the latest play from acclaimed writer and performer James Rowland.

When James was a teenager he was extremely unwell and spent 95% of his time in bed. His mum looked after him for most of the time but when she had to go somewhere on a Wednesday afternoon, James was told that he would be spending the time with the spooky old 'witch' in the creepy house in their street.

It has been said many times that Rowland is a master storyteller and this is entirely justified. I'm not sure someone else could make a bathroom mishap quite so charming. Rowland is incredibly gifted at weaving a tale and has the audience completely captivated throughout.

James and Ann became firm friends, bonding over classical music. It was an unlikely friendship but both were lonely and sad in their own way. James decided he was going to take it upon himself to slay her dragon and make his friend happy again. It's an unexpected narrative but wickedly funny.

There's no set and no tech- Rowland operates the lighting and music himself. If you're familiar with his work you'll realise pretty quickly that nothing is amateur about his setup and everything is executed in a particular way for a reason. While not a huge amount happens in the story, it is so beautifully told by such an engaging performer it is impossible not to be moved by it.

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