Daniel Kitson’s done pretty well for a prickly Englishman who eschews TV. Often described as a comedian, he doesn’t fire off jokes but mulls over things like identity and death.
And in his new solo, “Analog.Ue,” he doesn’t even speak.
Yet the show is as just as wordy as his recent offerings, like last year’s “It’s Always Right Now, Until It’s Later.” That’s because while Kitson doesn’t say anything, he activates about two dozen devices that play back his pre-recorded voice.
There’s a point to this. In about half the piece, Kitson channels 80-year-old Thomas Tappler, who in 1977 recorded his memories on the assorted reel-to-reels and cassette players his wife, Gertie, gave him.
Thomas’ observations are mixed with those of one Trudy Livingston. When we first hear her (also pre-recorded), she sounds middle-aged. As the show progresses, Kitson moves us back to her childhood.
Yes, there’s a link between Thomas and Trudy, though it takes awhile to emerge and even then it’s not entirely clear.
It’s also not entirely compelling.
It’s fun — up to a point — to watch Kitson transport his antiquated machines from one end of the stage to the other. But the conceptual business about memory, time and connections also feels a little pompous.
By the end, it’s hard to care if it’s live or Memorex.