IN a year when most have been unable to travel any further than the end of their garden or local park, it was a real joy to have this by Rose Condo which looked not only at the idea of travelling and which considered not only the physical aspects of travel and being able to travel but also the metaphysical nature of journeying.

Travel is not just about the places themselves but the people and experiences along the way. This was most apparent in the cleverly written and witty poem which talked about “cruising along denial” and “walking along the razor’s edge”, which examined the mental journeys which we all make to determine not just where we are but who we are.

Particularly appealing was the idea of carrying around a “you are here” marker as a way of knowing your own personal location and remaining grounded. There were a number of astute observations about society along the way in this fascination solo spoken word show, such as why do we all maintain the need to queue in an orderly fashion even in a rain storm, which means half of the people end up getting wet rather than huddling together in the limited space of the shelter?

There was also a very heart-felt exploration of the problems of being a Canadian and always being perceived to be an American. Clearly a put-upon neighbour in many respects, this highlighted the differences between the two nations but also provided an honest evaluation of the attitudes of both.

The show is a cleverly compiled construction of stories, songs and poems with the narrator slipping seamlessly between them.

She has the ability to move effortlessly from general chat and observations into a tightly written poem, structured for maximum effect with internal rhymes which emphasise rather than detract from the message.

Your attention is held at all times as she guides you through a journey which covers multi-layered topics so that childhood recollections of thunder storms on the Canadian prairies merge via “Wizard of Oz” imagery into an allegorical retelling of a disintegrating relationship.

Especially moving was the sequence dedicated to thoughts on time, which dealt with how we strive to master and control time but also use activity to fill time when we are missing a loved one and then how time can become seemingly unending for those overcome by depression.

This was an extremely interesting show which led the listener down many avenues, ensuring that they became more conscious of how and where they were travelling in both terms of physical destinations and mental well being.