We Were Promised Honey! – Traverse Theatre

In We Were Promised Honey! members of the audience become travellers on a prophetic tour of our own futures.  We are not merely observers.  We are participants within the world of the story.

In 2018 Richard Russell, an airport baggage handler, stole an empty passenger plane and flew it for over an hour.  He had learnt to fly by playing video games. Unfortunately, Russell had never practiced landing. Russel conducted some astonishing aerial manoeuvres, experiencing and sharing moments of pure joy – but hearing his story, our delight is tempered by our awareness of how the story must end.

Writer and performer, Sam Ward, tells stories about the future lives of the people in the audience.  Stories that will unfold over the next few centuries.  (He is optimistic about our potential lifespans.)  Ward is kind, gentle, and soothing, crafting intense and beautiful moments for each of us, but from time to time, he reminds us that our story will not have a happy ending.  As Ward weaves the story of Richard Russell’s last adventure through the piece, our collective inevitable doom is always present.

The show takes place in the round, and ushers ensure that the audience spreads out evenly around the stage.  Nobody is an outsider; everyone is part of the performance.  This is a solo piece, but we are reminded that without the collaboration of the audience, there would be no show.

Ward paints with words.  Without a set or complex effects, he creates a vividly visual performance full of compelling imaginary images: a CEO playing golf in a desert; a party overlooking an exploding supernova; a new born baby cradled in a lighthouse.  He gazes and gestures towards an invisible horizon, encouraging us to buy wholeheartedly into the future he has ordained for us. Cameron Smickersgill’s sound design draws us further into the narrative, keeping pace with Ward and adding to the sense of world building.

With vividly described moments as his building blocks, Ward creates a story that is epic in scope, philosophical, and uniquely engaging.                                                                                   

Reviewer: Wendy McEwan

Reviewed: 12th April 2023

North West End UK Rating: ★★★★★