Showing @ Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh until Sat 17 May

In this fun, humorous and thought-provoking one-man performance, Tom Wainwright tells the true story of homeless man, Tachowa Covington, who was uprooted from his self-made home after a strange interaction with secretive street artist Banksy.

The unexpected crossing of paths between Covington and the enigmatic creative resulted in Covington’s abode, a converted water tank, being decorated with the words ‘This looks a bit like an elephant‘, leading to his home being transferred into an art gallery.

The story of what happened after losing his residence and how he ended up living there makes up Wainwright’s smart and light-hearted script. The simplistic set of a piece of carpet and a sheet over a screen, means the audience’s attention is solely on Gary Beadle, who animatedly takes on the role as Covington. With a well-practiced American drawl, yellow Laker’s jersey and anecdotes about strolling past the iconic walk of fame, Beadle and Wainwright successfully transport the audience to LA.

Discussing the challenging topic of homelessness, Wainwright tells Covington’s story without losing the essence of his own optimism through his struggles. The result is a performance that focuses on the issue of poverty without disregarding the importance of the individual suffering it. Covington addresses the audience with continuous tongue in cheek murmurs of ‘I know you’re thinking what about Banksy?’ However, any thoughts of the artist are displaced, so encapsulating and impressive is this tale of a man who created a home from a water tank.

The relaxed atmosphere Beadle creates with his execution of Wainwright’s script, jumping from humour to serious discussions, turns the sold out performance into an intimate conversation that engages with the audience and gives a feeling of having met Covington for real. Viewers don’t leave asking ‘What about Banksy?’ They instead leave with the question, ‘What about Tachowa?