What I liked
The performances are, collectively, some of the best I’ve ever seen on a Fringe stage. Without a doubt the best ensemble I’ve experienced. In particular, Lee Hanson and Brandon Blum find ways of interjecting real nuance and conflict into what could have been very dry roles. Will Thomas McFadden and Julia Finch revel in their nastiness, and Jonathan Brooks steals the show with a comedic tour de force.
What I didn't like
Again, the messaging falls victim to the talents of everyone in the show, and it might be a little too ‘theatre geek’ for its own good, but I saw it with a very voracious audience and it was one hell of an entertaining 75-minutes. I also wonder if the main stage space at the Broadwater was the right choice. This is such an intimate show and that can get lost occasionally on that stage. But these are quibbles. This is an all-timer Fringe show for me. It does the medium real justice.
My overall impression
What a fantastic way to kick off Fringe 2024. A deft combination of overt silliness and startling drama, injecting a message here and there along the way. I don’t know that the message sticks the landing, but the messengers sure do. I was hooked throughout and never knew precisely where it was going.
