What Happens In the Dark

What I liked

I appreciated the reveal on the husband (which I won’t spoil), which was refreshingly nuanced- they could’ve just done the bare minimum and provided more of a stock answer, but they really went above and beyond on making his situation more personal and his approach to it somewhat sympathetic.

And the fact that literally every character had their own, very specific, very individual plot twist, gave every actor a chance to really shine- and they all did! Everyone felt like the main character in their own way.

They also took full advantage of the fact it was a live stage performance, with the lights going on and off and people hiding behind furniture (or tripping over it) and taking jewelry- I could go on. (Not to mention all the physical stunts! Performing this must be a real workout.)

It feels like it’d be almost impossible to adapt this into any other medium, which is a real sign of resourcefulness and creativity.

What I didn't like

The pacing was a little meandering at times, and a few of the smaller jokes felt a little more basic, but the audience also tended to laugh at those the most, so I kind of understand why they did that if that’s consistent.

This play could also be described as a little “cheesy,” though I didn’t really mind that, and the seriousness of what was going on in the dark balanced it out in my opinion.

My overall impression

Really well-done! Honestly the best show I’ve seen at Fringe Fest. The use of pantomime kept the comedic timing vibrant and engaging, and the lights on/lights off gimmick was really intriguing and well-used.