Tales of a Reluctant World Traveler
Created by Randy Ross
Produced by Randy Ross, Somerville, USA
Review by Alexa MacKie
50 min / 14+ / Storytelling, Comedy, Solo Travelogue / Mature language, Abrupt loud noise, Images of diseases
The first thing that Randy Ross shares of his four month trip around the world is a list of diseases he was initially afraid of contracting: yellow fever, gonorrhoea and cholera, among them.
In Tales of a Reluctant World Traveler, he then shares more details of his adventures. Whether river-boarding in New Zealand or trying snake wine for the first time in Southeast Asia, it’s safe to say Ross was thrust outside of his comfort zone.
Randy Ross from Tales of a Reluctant World Traveler. Photo by Paul Gillis.
But as a performer, Ross is at ease. He flips through his slidedeck with a rhythmic cadence, despite the gruesome photos showing anything from him being swarmed by Australian bush flies to suffering through dinner at a youth hostel with travellers half his age.
Ross’s narrative is laced with details—he remembers the cinema he passed in Melbourne advertising a Mel Gibson film, that, when paired with quippy line delivery, make for a farcical story about a Boston homebody up against the elements. The story is relatable at times (who wouldn’t be terrified of potentially being eaten by a great white shark?), if sometimes overly cynical.
Scene from Tales of a Reluctant World Traveler. Photo provided.
In the show, Ross shows no grasp of lessons learned from his travels. Or at least the tone of the performance doesn’t allow for a sense of gratitude to be apparent. Instead, Ross turns to cementing his journey in a book. Thus commences the less interesting second half of the show, where Ross details the fruition of his novel, God Bless Cambodia.
His deadpan expressions and sarcasm are still apparent and fitting, but the story suffers from a more complain-ish tone instead of artistically shaping the endeavour in a fatalistic light.
Cover of God Bless Cambodia by Randy Ross. Photo provided.
Nonetheless, there is a hilarious air to the pessimistic outlook of the performance, which is more effective in its first half. And anyone who’s faced adversity in travels—including the big scary thing revealed at the end of Ross’s travel stories—will find joy in this one-man production.
Tales of a Reluctant World Traveller is playing at Studio 1201 from June 14–23. Tickets are $14 plus service fees at the Fringe box office (3rd floor, Arts Court, 2 Daly Avenue), and at the two satellite box offices (LabO in the Ottawa Art Gallery and La Nouvelle Scene). 5 and 10 Show Passes are also available. Visit the Ottawa Fringe Festival’s website for the show’s schedule and check out their online schedule here.
