Tracks
Four and a half Stars
For an actor who's made a name for himself performing autobiographical monologues, it's a bit of a risk for TJ Dawe to suddenly shift to performing the autobiographical works of somebody else, especially someone who lived more than a century ago. Yet that's exactly what he's done with Tracks, a collection of Jack London stories about life as a railroad hobo; and while a Victorian-era travelogue may not seem the best material for a Fringe show, Dawe pulls it off with the same narrative style and verbal layering familiar to audiences from earlier works like The Slip-Knot. So complete, so mesmerizing is Dawe in his characterization of London (known merely as "Sailor Jack" in the show) that within minutes of the lights going down, the audience has completely forgotten that these aren't the actor's own tales they're hearing. As rich in history as it is entertaining, after seeing Tracks you'd be forgiven for thinking you knew all you needed to go out and become a hobo- although given some of the harrowing adventures Dawe recounts, it's unlikely you'll be hopping a freight anytime soon.
John Threlfall
Monday Magazine
September 3-10, 2002
