Ethan Lipton's wry musical is an ode to the unemployed, a bittersweet picture of a post-Crash world. Blending cabaret and stand-up comedy, Lipton portrays a society in which jobs are scarce and workers survive on a diet of hope and adaptability.
Lipton’s onstage alter ego toils for a publishing company as an “information refiner”. He’s a “permanent part-time” employee, rich only in anecdotes. The rest of the time he’s a singer-songwriter and tentatively emerging playwright — a pretty melancholy combination.
Glittery tie aside, Lipton looks like an office drudge, and the songs testify to the everyday drabness and occasional pleasures of deskbound life. Yet the fact that his employers are relocating to Mars (to cut costs) suggests a more fanciful edge to the writing, and at times the show turns into a sour audit of the creepy formulae of corporate language.
The music is mostly jazzy or bluesy, with a few forays into rockier terrain. It’s excellently played by a threepiece band: Eben Levy on guitar, Vito Dieterle on saxophone and Ian Riggs on bass. Lipton himself has a hangdog expression and a voice that oozes a sardonic sort of drollness.
No Place to Go originated at Joe’s Pub in Manhattan, and this is a New York show through and through. That’s not to say it doesn’t resonate here. There are catchy lyrics — and some truly poignant ones. But the tempo is a bit on the sluggish side, and the tone needs more variety.
Until December 14 (020 7229 0706, gatetheatre.co.uk)
