Goodbye Postie by Deliverance Theatre Review
Written by Jacqueline for Theatre & Tonic
Goodbye Postie made its debut at the Edinburgh Fringe as part of the Free Fringe catalogue in 2023, where it was met with much positive audience acclaim. After taking a break in 2024, Deliverance Theatre are back and better than ever with this year’s production. Goodbye Postie follows the story of two young men living in Dumfries. Though the boys have been inseparable for a lifetime, cracks form in their relationship as Postie wants to see what lies beyond the borders of Fife, leaving Sparkie behind.
It is easy to see why Postie (Alexander Artis) feels trapped by his small-town surroundings. While Postie is dealing with the repetitive nature of his job alongside his father’s mental health struggles, Sparkie (Greg Cross) is enjoying his blossoming relationship with his new girlfriend and simply wants life to stay the same. Tensions rise as the boys’ worldviews clash, and their friendship is put to the test. Neither of them are right or wrong, they just want different things out of life. This creates a compelling narrative of how to cope with change, and when it’s time to fly the nest.
The show runs at a slick 55 minutes and makes the most of every moment with a steady balance of comedy and humour. I personally would’ve preferred a slightly longer show to allow for a bit more introspection from each of the characters to really dig deeper into why they feel so strongly about staying in or leaving Dumfries. However, that is purely a personal note and didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the production.
Director Lucy Pedersen skilfully ensures that the tension between our two characters is always prevalent-whether at the forefront or brewing under the surface. Something I particularly appreciated was that even during moments of conflict, the show did not rely on shouting or physical aggression to get the emotion across, instead allowing the audience to focus on the words that are being spoken and the meaning behind them. Stage manager Claire Chateauneuf ensured slick transitions between scenes, with the occasional use of music to help frame the time period the show is set in.
All in all, Goodbye Postie is a thought-provoking and emotive work which asks tough questions about how to handle situations when you and your friends’ values no longer align.
Goodbye Postie runs at theSpace on the Mile (Venue 39) from August 1st-9th at 18:30
★ ★ ★ ★
