The ‘Still Point Institute’ is holding a three-day immersive meditation, and the closing speaker has cancelled due to…circumstances beyond his control! Enter Lloyd Dobler (Dennis Trainor)…yes, the same Lloyd Dobler played by John Cusack in the 1989 movie ‘Say Anything’. A middle-aged Dobler is flown in to take over the closing speech of the retreat, which hosts high flying people such as Jeff Bezos, and Russell Brand, and Dobler’s spiritual Molotov cocktail could be a fiery brew.
We learn that the invitation came from his ex-girlfriend from many years earlier Diane Court, who works for the company Meridian Systems, the creator software for the American government with ICE being one of the departments. If all this was not enough to make him feel uncomfortable, he must talk to these high flyers, when thinking about his younger self, and his moto – ‘I don’t want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career.’ Hardly fitting for such an occasion, or should he be the dissenter in the room!
Writer and performer Dennis Trainor has worked on his character in his podcast of the same name, so he has had some time as writer, performer and producer, to fully inhabit Lloyd Dobler. As a solo show, the challenge is to take up enough space on the stage that the audience forget that you are only one, we need have no worry here! Trainor is adept at bringing Dobler to life, and even if you have never watched the movie (given that the movie was made in 1989, it is likely that some of the audience will not recognise the references), this would not spoil the play for you.
Given that Trainor already had the youthful version of Dobler to play with, his anti-establishment stance works well with the current climate in the US, and unless you are a MAGA supporter, the references will be pushing against an open door. Trainor plays Dobler, as a man on the edge of taking it too far, he uses his ex-girlfriend Diane as a doorway into his past, and we take a trip down memory lane with Dobler to understand why he may be teetering on the edge. Faced with negotiating a speech on ‘change yourself, and by doing so change the world’, he has a wide remit, but through the whole play, his frustration at not being able to change the world is evident. Trainor shows us a man who wants to do the right thing but does not know if he is equipped to do it, and he may just go too far if he is pushed!
Directed by Olivier award winning Guy Masterson, this play offers a unique experience. Trainor is enigmatic, and such lovely touches as the hand chime, add an authenticity to the Tao influence. There is a lot packed in to the hour, and with Trainor’s excellent storytelling, it flies by. There is a wealth of choice of shows at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, but the experienced direction, and the enthusiasm of the performer, ensure that this is a very good choice to have on your list.
The show runs until the 30th August at 12.25pm each day (1hr). To buy tickets go to – https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on?search=true&text=The%20Tao%20of%20Lloyd
Reviewer: Caroline Worswick – Theatre Muse UK
Reviewed: 22nd August 2026
North West End UK / Theatre Muse UK Rating:
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