DITCH DIGGER By Nathan Osgood
Arcola Theatre, 27 Arcola St, London, E8 2DJ
A man sticks out his thumb in the Mojave Desert attempting a hitch off an 18 wheeler truck. He squints into the bright headlights as it rumbles past, leaving him bathed in the red glow of taillights. No, we’re not in the middle of an American highway but in the Arcola’s studio space where the claustrophobic meets the open road in Nathan Osgood’s Ditch Digger.
Written, co-directed and staring Nathan Osgood as Frank, Ditch Digger is based on the story of his own life on the road and has recently been made into a short film, which may account for the filmic nature of the play. Filled with poignant moments, it’s a great two-hander reminiscent of Waiting for Godot except the person Frank is fighting with is ultimately himself. Sprinkled throughout are gems of dialogue which allow the actors to relax in the moment : Ashley (played by Stuart Mackie) reminiscing over the time he stole a whole side of beef or Frank laughing over the blind faith of mid-west religion.
With a set consisting of a narrow painted highway on the floor and the desert horizon expanding across the back wall (complete with wisps of afternoon clouds), the space is magically transformed into a wide landscape. This feeling does battle with the inherent claustrophobic nature of the studio space which helps to further emphasize the relationship between the characters and adds to the intimacy of the play. Most impressive, was the lighting design by David Rafique. He made us believe the night of the desert, the by-passing trucks, a mushroom trip and the lonely night time trips travelled by the light of a dashboard. And with this, allowed Ditch Digger to transport us to another land and we were given, for just a moment, a glimpse into the soul of a travelling man.
