Jonathan Tipton Meyers sits on stage in his cab awaiting the audience to take their seats and buckle in their seatbelts at the Assembly Rooms on George Street. In his amazingly honest, and thought-provoking storytelling show, he examines what humans are looking for, and how we all connect to each other in our own unique ways.
Meyers is a writer, who used to be an Uber driver right as the whole craze of getting an Uber was picking up speed in the early 2010’s. Through this period of his professional life, he encountered a few lovely, crazy and memorable people, many of whom he endeavours to talk about here in his show at the Fringe. The whole show isn’t just about this though, it’s more about his journey through being a driver and having strangers in the back of his personal car, and the connections he makes with these people in such a short space of time.
Meyers manages to make many scarily accurate observations of the human condition through his anecdotes of real encounters with people, while acting out many of the adventures on stage; driving his car, approving his pickups on his phone, running down the stairs to use the loo, to name a few. How Meyers tells his stories with an effortless comfort and clarity is a joy to watch. He is a natural born story teller. He manages to be incredibly funny while also feeling relatable, talking in detail about a breakup and career overhauls that make one rethink everything. Meyers delivers some emotion moments too, leading the audience down a seemingly safe and comfortable path before delivering an unexpected gut punch: or a fantastically placed punchline. He also makes effective use of projection behind him, simulating being in a car with him, showing pictures of the guests he’s talking about, or simply showing horrifying footage of people abusing drivers that’ll make the audience’s blood boil.
After making some harrowing observations about society, the realistic treatment of Uber drivers around the world and some points about the very backwards traditions of society that are still relevant today, Meyers asks the audience a question. Can a car, which in his story created a separation, or segregation, bring us back together again?
Meyers tells the audience towards the end that he cares for them as much as he does someone in his family…because they’re in his car. Perhaps this is an attitude more of us need to adopt. With a very clever concept, brilliant execution and a confidence on stage that sucks you right in, Meyers delivers a show about human beings and how we are all looking to make a connection and bridge the gap between us and others.
Get tickets here:
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/we-are-traffic-an-uber-adventure
Theatre Scotland 
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