What I liked
Having read Heart Held’s synopsis, I was fully prepared for the darkness that was to come once the crying protagonist came on stage with a bloody gash. And then a random man only makes a brief comment on her wound and asks if she wants to cool down with some ice cream while carrying an enormous, sheathed sword. And then my interest piqued.
Don’t get me wrong, this is still a bleak story featuring some intense mental and physical abuse. But what helps chew through what could be a potentially draining hour of these scenes is the commitment to an incredibly animated concept where everyone carries deadly weapons on a day-to-day basis to harm their partners during dates. This was such a fun and visual way to explore these ideas. The concept of having Micah progressively become more comical, seldom addressed injuries was my favorite touch.
I found the tension in the scenes surrounding the ex-boyfriend to be my favorite of the bunch. The actor and character had me uncertain all the way through with how trustworthy his “change of heart” and demands were while also being an incredibly entertaining character throughout.
What I didn't like
While I take it more as an unfortunate necessity as a result of the frequent use of fake blood, the stage transitions between scenes and leftover red juice were pretty immersion-breaking. I’m sure there may be some creative ways to get around this issue in the future.
I feel that the script needed a bit more tightening. While the relationship dynamics keep the pace up, the metaphor around the weapons is made pretty clear early on and the more the story’s themes are reiterated around it, the concept becomes a bit exhausting.
My overall impression
Heart Held at Knife Point is one of the most visually and tonally interesting Fringe shows I’ve seen yet. It’s a fantastic balance of grim relationship dynamics within an inventive, wacky world.
