May 21, 2010
Special to TheDailyCity.com
Orlando Fringe 2010
So The Bike Trip is kind of where words fail me. I was such a fan of last year's “Wanderlust” that I almost didn't want Dockery to come back. Odds were he wasn't going to top it and there was the real possibility that we had seen the best he had to give. So I entered the Silver venue with mixed feelings - hopes for the guy, but worried.
Lights up, he's on, and then away we go.
It's natural to make comparisons because here we are again - one guy with a chair and a bottle of water, taking you to far-off (and in this case, far-out) places. Yes, it's pretty safe to say that if you loved “Wanderlust” you'll love “The Bike Trip”. But he isn't riding on formula, other than at the heart of it it's still Dockery – how he experiences the world and his interaction within it. Quirky, funny, sometimes insightful – more often, clueless.
It's all there to be had.
Technically speaking I don't know how Dockery takes us to India, to Switzerland, while commanding a barren stage - I'll leave it to the critics to tell you that. What I care about is being struck anew by how damned good he is at taking me there - at making me feel a gamut of emotions - at wrenching my gut when a funny acid trip transforms itself into a much-needed reminder that we are all a good bit more connected than we sometimes feel.