Clara Sunset
When you try to picture a philosopher, what image comes to mind? An older man, comfortably philosophising in his armchair? Bearded Plato and Aristotle, in perpetual discussion, striding through The School of Athens? Dr Kathrine Cuccuru might not be at all what you were expecting. A self-proclaimed tramp, as she represents herself in this show, the independent philosopher scholar takes her audience on a tour through the history and philosophy of walking.
Underneath the thick layers of clothing – a mix of hiking gear and everyday wear which were Dr Cuccuru’s sole protection during her time tramping on pilgrimage paths in the south of England -, emerges a purple-clad philosopher, bald-shaven head underneath the colourful hat. And as layers of clothing are put on and shed again, the philosopher begins to embark on a philosophical journey of what it means to walk, to wander, and to drift.
A Philosopher Walks: Thoughtful Stories of a Tramp is based on fragments of essays Dr Cuccuru wrote as part of one strand of her philosophy projects, A Philosopher Walks, and is the culmination of a set of ideas that may form the basis of an upcoming academic book. The show is oriented around six tracks, read as recordings, accompanied by charmingly crude hand-drawn paper posters depicting key background concepts. Dr Cuccuru’s shows also rely on collaboration, playing with the audience’s associations and ideas as she paces through her stories.
This is a show rich in ideas. Each track takes the philosophy of walking to another level as Dr Cuccuru sits, paces, tramps, temporarily becomes a flaneur (or flaneuse), eventually drifting around the room, interacting with the audience where the occasion naturally arises. Philosophically informed comparisons, such as the shared history of tourism and hiking for the sake of experiencing the sublime, allow poignant points to be made visceral.
As well as advancing the essay collection’s intellectual thoughts, the show emphasises the identity Dr Cuccuru incorporates: that of the radical philosopher, testing accepted truths through bold experimentation. With naked feet, she carefully deconstructs how philosophers of walking have often self-inserted their voyeuristic expectations and unchecked privilege. If walking is really free and accessible, why are some of us forced to spend so much time planning for the basics that we can barely find the energy to move forward?
In the informal setting of the Dundee Fringe, A Philosopher Walks: Thoughtful Stories of a Tramp was welcomed as an intellectually immersive and curiously cute exploration into how walking relates to thinking and being. Dr Cuccuru appears to be brimming with ideas that could form into fully-fledged journeys when the time comes.
Heart-warming and highly clever. One for friends of philosophy or those tempted by unconventionality. And if you enjoy audience interaction, be impressed by Dr Cuccuru thinking on her feet.
Recommended Drink: With summer quickly making space for autumn, have a drink that warms your heart – you might need it if you are going to stay outside. I will have a rose white latte.
Performances of A Philosopher Walks: Thoughtful Stories of a Tramp have now concluded at Dundee Fringe 2026.
Salvador Kent
Ellen Leslie
