What I liked
Everything. From top to bottom, this show was one of the best things I saw at the Fringe festival. I am SO GLAD that I managed to get to its final performance, because I enjoyed it so incredibly much. Dark, visceral, very well acted. Practically perfect in every way—and that every way was PURE EVIL.
I also want to specifically point out the young actors as a group. Such an INCREDIBLY talented group. They were all, every single one of them, a joy to watch. From the brother who stabbed his younger one (who died over and over and over and over) to the brilliant young woman spitting stage blood after a particular wound—they were FANTASTIC.
What I didn't like
You don’t mess with perfection.
My overall impression
All I knew about this show before I went to see it was that it was “kids doing Titus Andronicus” and they’d been banned from going into Fringe Central. So when I walked into the theater and my program was entirely in-character and then the teacher walked onto the stage, already having a meltdown over his cheating wife…I knew I was in for a great time.
I was absolutely right. From its opening moments to its terrifying, dark and shocking ending, this play is a joy to watch. It’s like Shakespeare and Scream melded together through the lens of South Park and I simply could not look away for one moment. I had no idea what was going to happen from one moment to another as the play and the real life of the children (and one adult) on the stage began to weave themselves together in a tragedy just as real—and somehow, just as destined or fated—as anything the Bard ever wrote.
It was magical. It was sad.
It was brilliant. It was maddening.
I laughed quite often.
I flinched at several moments.
And I nearly fled the theater when it was over because I was more than a little creeped out.
But in a good way—I promise. I wasn’t trying to get away from anyone. I swear I wasn’t. Please don’t kill me next. Okay?
If this extends or comes back next year, GO SEE IT immediately. Get your tickets while you can. And remember—no matter what you read here, I said it was “a lovely play and nothing bad happened at all. Period.” Right? You’ll all protect me.
Please?
