Scott is about to become a father. All good, you might think – but Scott, like so many new parents before him, is worried.
The world is in a mess, everything’s going wrong; hope seems to have disappeared – will he ever find it again?
In Stephen Callaghan’s solo show Pilgrim of Hope, Scott feels so down that he pulls a sickie and spends his day looking for something to cure his pessimism. Along the way he encounters a variety of people – his boss Frank, a waiter, a personal trainer, Laura the cinema worker, a Big Issue seller, a political canvasser (‘Make Scotland Great Again’!), an actor, an ex-con, a priest – each of whom offers him their own take on life. But can any of them pull him out of his sea of despond before he has to go home to pregnant Paula?
Callaghan is an excellent actor; he not only voices each part, he mimes his actions – leaving the house, getting on the bus, getting into the lift at work (and surreptitiously checking his teeth in the mirror) – particularly convincingly. He’s immensely versatile; each of the many characters is well defined and easily recognisable, we’re never confused as to who’s speaking. There’s also a lot of humour in these cameos; Callaghan’s gym guru is hilarious (and gets the audience joining in with his workout), Frank is on a mission to ‘change the world one kitchen applicance at a time’, and many Fringe-goers will no doubt have suffered variations on the ridiculous experimental theatre Scott feels obliged to watch, in which an actor utters the immortal lines,
‘We are all but ants waiting to be fried.’
Each person Scott meets has their own story to tell, their own challenges to face, and each conversation offers Scott different aspects of hope. Laura finds exercise helps her anxiety; the waiter visits galleries to lose himself in art; despite the hostility he has suffered, the trainer, a refugee, finds hope in the kindness of people who have helped him.
Pilgrim of Hope is an overtly Christian play, created under the auspices of the Archdiocese of Glasgow Arts Project (AGAP), of which Callaghan is a founder member. It was written to celebrate the RC Church’s Jubilee Year, whose theme this time is Hope.
When Scott encounters the Catholic priest, there is a prolonged discussion about the teachings of Jesus, the difference between religion and faith, and the perceived social prejudice against that faith. Scott is, he says, ‘not religious’, but after talking with the priest he seems to undergo a spiritual experience, coming to realise that hope is found in other people, and that he himself will have given people hope simply by listening to them and showing them compassion.
I did find some of the conversations Scott has a little unlikely; the waiter’s diatribe against war became a bit of an information dump, and Laura’s detailed description of the moment of conception did go on, even if she is a biochemistry student. However, Callaghan’s transformation into various cinematic tough guys was very entertaining indeed, as were all of his comic moments.
Pilgrim of Hope uses only a table and chair as props; this minimalist arrangement works well, and allows Callaghan to demonstrate his considerable acting skills without lots of distracting set changes. The addition of a flashing light bulb is a great way to illuminate Scott’s ‘brainwave’ each time he comes up with another potential answer to his quest.
This is a funny and thought-provoking show, and Saturday’s audience loved it. It’s also quite unusual for a Fringe play in that not a single swear word is heard throughout. The strong faith elements may be too much for some, but there is plenty to enjoy for those with other beliefs or none, and AGAP is to be commended for continuing to follow its motto ‘Have Faith in the Arts.’
Pilgrim of Hope was at studio at C Arts | C venues | C Aurora, Lauriston Halls, 28 Lauriston Street (Venue 6). The run has now ended
