About the work
Event (original title The Event) is a monologue for one actor by the American playwright and director John Clancy. It premiered in 2009 at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in the Assembly Rooms, performed by David Calvitto and directed by Clancy himself. The German version is by Frank-Patrick Steckel; a Greek translation also exists.
Plot
A single actor stands in a spotlight on an almost empty stage furnished only with a chair and describes what is happening in the theatre at that very moment – to himself and to the audience. He refers to himself in the third person, reveals that he is reciting a learned text and waiting for cues, and so shows how the illusion is made. From this self-examination of the theatre, the monologue widens into questions of authenticity and reality in contemporary life, of distraction, faith in technology and consumerism.
Cultural significance
The original production won a Scotsman Fringe First in 2009 and went on to tour countries including the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, Australia and the United States; at the Adelaide Fringe, Calvitto won the award for best performer. British reviewers emphasised how the piece takes apart theatrical illusion and pulls the audience out of its comfortable role as spectators.