Using little more than well-placed cardboard boxes, brown paper bags, a battered Monopoly board game, and expert lighting, by retelling Joe’s personal history the duo turned a dry subject into a thoroughly engaging theatrical evening.
Their chemistry and pinpoint timing kept the audience engaged throughout. Joe’s storytelling was candid and often funny, moving between childhood memories and present-day anxieties with impressive ease, with Dylan acting as a foil attempting to prevent Joe from political posturing.
There was a sense of urgency underpinning the performance, as the pair drew connections between economic policy and personal identity, all without preaching or oversimplifying. A deft blend of theatrical flair, soul-searching honesty, technology, and surprising magic tricks kept the audience leaning forward, eager to comprehend how economic and political forces leave fingerprints on everyday lives.
One of the production’s highlights was its playful yet pointed impersonations: Bill Clinton, Margaret Thatcher, John Major, and even the ‘grandfather of economics’ Adam Smith.
Perhaps the production’s greatest strength lies in its accessibility. This isn’t economics for economists—it’s for the rest of us, and was delivered with warmth, humour, and creativity. Joe and Dylan demonstrated that the stage is the perfect place to tackle complex ideas, especially when done with such intelligence and heart.
Forthcoming events at the Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, include Geoff Norcott at the Edge Comedy Club on Saturday, May 31, ‘Room’ – a dramatic homage to Virginia Woolf on Saturday, June 7, and The Magic of the Musicals on Saturday, July 5. Tickets for all events are available at www.ticketsource.co.uk/edgeartscentre
