What I liked
First and foremost, what works here is the STORY. Within a few minutes, I felt invested in the story of Little Robbie and what was going to happen to him as he grew to adulthood. I was hooked and stayed hooked for the entire duration.
And it’s a story I could relate to, as I’d also spent a good amount of my ‘formative years’ participating in what could be considered an “unusual” Japanese Buddhist group. Some people called it a cult; we believed we were striving for world peace. And who’s to say both viewpoints aren’t valid? This show takes great pains to not be judgemental about others and simply presents – in a highly entertaining fashion – what happened to Rob and lets the astounding facts speak for themselves.
As cliched as it sounds, I laughed, I cried, and I cared. That’s the sign of good writing and good acting!
What I didn't like
There were times when Rob looked at the screen expecting to see a visual, only to find it wasn’t there, or when lighting cues changed and suddenly changed back again. Plus the visuals on the screen were often washed out by the lighting, and the sound cues also seemed overly pervasive, sometimes too loud or soft and ill-timed. As someone who knows theater (and also QLab!), it felt like the first run-through; I was astounded to discover it was the last performance. That said, it’s a small quibble compared to the show’s content and other production values which were aces.
My overall impression
A witty, insightful and at times heart-breaking ride through what it’s like to grow up in a cult when you don’t know it’s a cult! It’s just… life.
