Rollicking tale set in Turkish boatyards

If this show doesn’t hit you, as they say, ‘‘right in the feels’’ then nothing will.

A Traveller’s Guide to Turkish Dogs is a rollicking and ingeniously-told tale of exploration, and an exploration of love and kinship set in the boatyards of Turkey.

It starts off innocuously. Some guy from the production is out front, taking the time to have an informal pre-show chat to the audience, comparing notes about travelling the world and sharing a few stories of dysentery and getting lost in foreign lands.

That guy turns out to be playwright and actor Barnaby Olson. This is his story. Before you know it, the audience chat becomes a self-introduction that segues into the story-telling proper, with Olson suddenly joined onstage by his fellow players – Stevie Hancox-Monk, Andrew Paterson, and Tess Sullivan – who quickly and bewilderingly rattle through a variety of supporting characters in a multitude of accents, including Turkish, Irish and a rich ‘‘New Zild’’.

As Olson – ‘‘Barney’’, as all seem to know him – spins his yarn it evolves from being a fascinating travelogue, an account of an atypical Kiwi OE, into a beautiful portrait of life among the wayfarers and wanderers and boatbuilders and fishermen.

During his time in Turkey Olson ends up caring for and befriending a young puppy, a street dog that had been struck by a car and is literally at death’s door. Feeding into this central narrative of love and death are tales from Turkish folklore of wolves and werewolves and plenty of sparkling banter.

The set might be small, but the available space is utilised well, with plenty of makeshift props.

More than once you left thinking ‘‘That’s really cleverly done’’.

And without giving away any spoilers, this tale also contains one of the most remarkable ‘‘Ohmygosh!’’ moments you will likely see in a theatrical production.

There was a small crowd for the opening night of the five-show Meteor season (and if we are talking about Hamilton audiences, that means a VERY small crowd).

The remainder of the season runs until tomorrow night, with performances at 7.30pm.

You don’t want to miss it.