This intimate show staged in the round has Daniel Bye sitting with us as much as standing in the space. A simple grey circle of carpet taped down in the middle seems to define the performing area and it’s telling that as Daniel talks he spends almost all of his time not standing on the carpet, but on the outskirts or sitting in the seating among the audience.

This act of storytelling on the face of it concerns an outbreak of weeping, spreading from a flight into England from abroad. Daniel spends some time using simple props to illustrate what a virus is and how it spreads, and the story of a man who was on the original flight runs in parallel with the story of a woman who is investigating the outbreak.

Very subtle lighting (Katherine Williams) and sound punctuate the performance which is told with wit and assurance by Daniel Bye.  Sitting somewhere between storytelling and lecture, Daniel keeps his performance feeling alive by incorporating the audience, wryly noting our reactions to the things he says and does. We find out a lot about how the cells, viruses and bodily processes operate and we are  engaged throughout by the power of the artists storytelling style.

In the end though I found myself wondering why I should care about these characters in this imaginary scenario – what was the reason we have been gathered into this space? Are we there to examine our own empathy, the way we grieve, fear the unknown or react to the fast-paced world we live in? There is no doubt that this event holds our attention and keeps us engaged with the power of the solo performer’s words and willingness to put himself through physical pain and emotional anguish as his story unfolds. What, however, is the intention of this piece and what are we to make of it? Ultimately we walk out quite dry eyed, with more knowledge about how disease is spread and for a time transported into the world of epidemiology. Perhaps I won’t be so quick to panic next time there’s an outbreak.

Going Viral is an ARC Production written and performed by Daniel Bye as part of Northern Stage @ Summerhall