The world is a scary place without a map. They allow you to find yourself and figure out where you are going. And that's exactly what the play is about.
The play follows Sarah (Becky Sowter) who works in her deceased father's map store. She is too afraid to travel the world because of the condition she has: a literal hole in her heart that also killed her father. And then she meets John who dreams of travelling, and more importantly, travelling with her, and might just fill the metaphorical hole in her heart as well.
Before the show even starts you get a good idea what you are in for. A ukulele plays, an overhead projector takes centre stage with hand drawn images on screen, and the cast comes around getting the audience to help with certain scenes. Particularly fun was building the ambience of an Italian restaurant to be looped over the speakers. The movie version would probably star Zooey Deschanel and Michael Cera.
Written and directed by Tom Briggs (who also does a fantastic voice of Sarah's mother), the do-it-yourself vibe works well, especially when working on themes of finding yourself and love that are so much a part of youth and growing into adults. It's a fantastically honest and entertaining look at what it means to be young and aimless in the UK. While Sarah might not know who she is, the characters are well thought out and full of their own quirks, all in relatable and humorous ways. The songs are impossible not to smile through, as are things like watching the actors build a boat out of ladders. The entire production is full of charm and pulls off more than many two hours plays in its just 50 minute run time.
The intimacy of the Burton Taylor only adds to the production with the four actors running around stage playing different characters and drawing you in with the story. It's quite impressive to watch, to the point that re-watching would give something more to discover every time. The audience participation factor brings viewers into the already small production so that you immediately find yourself rooting for Sarah.
The show is ultimately an uplifting look at life through all it's ups and downs, and journeys along the A1.