We Need Better Friends

A love poem to Shakespeare's B-characters, told over whiskey, hard seltzer, and pizza. As others have pointed out, this show is funny, moving, and refreshingly genuine — capped off by two heartfelt performances from both actors. It's a beautiful examination of what it means to be a good friend, to show up, to care for others, while taking care of yourself in an F'd up world. ... full review

Just WOW! I can be pretty picky, but this is an absolute Master Class. And I saw the preview performance! It has actually been a couple weeks now-- I know, it's been a crazy busy month-- but even still, while others have come close, this remains hands down the best thing I've seen this Fringe! Nicole & James take you from laughter to tears as you ride the rollercoaster that is these characters existence. And holy pineapple pizza! I LOVE their friendship!! My heart literally broke watching Nicole -- soo incredibly heartfelt, earnest, yet hilarious. And James is just plain genius. I know "tour de force" tends to be an overused & cliche phrase, but, I mean... with this show, tis just a fact. Wherever you are on the Shakespeare sca... full review

We Need Better Friends is a witty, original, smartly written play not to be missed. The actors are a joy to watch even in the moments of extreme sadness. I laughed, I cried and hoped I caught all the the wonderful double entendres, sly references and respective Shakespeare show plots. ... full review

The writing was incredibly witty and humorous. The play does a great job weaving the audience through the story of Hamlet and Romeo & Juliet through the eyes of Benvolio and Horatio. You don’t have to be a Shakespeare know it all to understand the jokes and laugh along with everyone. The show was very well done and I would strongly recommend seeing it!... full review

Highly Recommend!! We Need Better Friends is an engaging and perceptive adaptation that challenges the reverence we have for some of Shakespeare's most beloved characters. This sharp take on two of the bard's most gut-wrenching stories is an impressive feat.... full review

A really funny, insightful, thought-provoking theatre show that works both as a tribute to the works of Shakespeare but as a reflective piece on what it truly means to be a good friend.... full review

Great! It's not easy to pull off a two person show that is primarily conversational. With great performances from James Ferrero and Nicole Knudsen and fantastic direction from Cameron Rose and Elizabeth Birmingham, they bring this new work to life with a great sense of shape, nuance, and humor. A great time for any theater goer and a fantastic time for any fans of Shakespeare. ... full review

An absolute delight! I got so much more than I expected from this adaptation. The sense of dramatic irony heightens the tension, and creates an empathetic bond with the audience that takes the show beyond mere comedy or drama.... full review

This was an incredibly clever, funny, & moving show! Besides making me laugh out loud several times (especially from the extremely well-timed references to the two Shakespeare plays), I thought both James & Nicole were very grounded in the truth of being surrounded by extreme tragedy in their lives. For me, this is a sweet story about what it means to listen well, be there for someone, and about a particular (and important!) kind of friend that provides perspectives on people and situations in your life that you may be *too* close to. For never was there a play to which you should go / more speedily than this of Horatio & Benvolio!!!!!... full review

A cheeky and intelligent nod to two lesser known Shakespearean characters, both Nicole and James do a stand up job of staying grounded in the truth of these characters while also throwing delightful winks to a theater-loving audience! Leaving me with hope that they do in fact find better friends! ... full review