Frank, recently appointed scientific advisor to the UK government, is in Alaska to give a speech at a conference on the Arctic. Things aren't going well. He's lost his script, and his suit is being dry cleaned after a yoghurt related incident. So Frank has to face the world in his hotel bathrobe.
This overtone of farce is carried through the performance, with a succession of odd characters interrupting Frank's quest to be ready for his big moment. So he has to deal with advice from a diplomat, threats from environmentalists, the concerns of locals, the power of the military and a bit of philosophy. Underlying the rapid fire comedy there is some serious intent, with the complexities of guarding the planet against the military industrial complex balanced against the needs of progress. But it's all a bit too haphazard and disjointed to make much of a point. However, in a week where the Tory Party Conference has shown distinct imperialist overtones, it was amusing to see British delusions of still being a world power being effectively ridiculed.
Steven McNicoll is perfect as the bewildered Frank, while Jimmy Chisholm and Nicola Roy have a lot of fun with the various caricatures that swarm around the main man. It might not always be as clever as it wants to be, but Breaking the Ice is very funny and that's to be welcomed.
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