Writer-performer David M. Proctor spent 30 years as a commercial truck driver. Now he’s channeled some of those experiences into an emotionally engaging solo show brimming with blue-collar poetry and raw humanity that’s one of this Fringe’s best bets.
Proctor’s onstage alter ego is trucker Matt Cooke, an intelligent ex-actor who abandoned his art for a steady paycheck, but can still recite Othello’s monologues at the drop of a hat. Cooke presents as an appealing anti-authoritarian character who enjoys enraging his incompetent superiors, even if he has a tendency to burn bridges behind himself, leaving him estranged from his disappointed adoptive father (also embodied by Proctor, with his own distinct physicality).
There’s humor here, in the form of an entertaining anecdote about a priest-involved traffic accident. But the bulk of this show — sensitively co-directed by Proctor and Marlon Burnley — is a devastatingly personal delving into the pain of parental disapproval, and the promise of second chances at redemption.
Grabbing the Hammer Lane is already my early pick for the Fest’s top solo drama, so buy your tickets and grab some tissues before attending. And if you have an aging parent, don’t be surprised if Proctor inspires you to pick up the phone and call them after the show.
Lowndes Shakespeare Center
Grabbing the Hammer Lane: A Trucker Narrative
Harbour Workshop
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This article appears in Summer Guide 2023.