NORMAL

A breathless assault, a dark dark dark psychological thriller that makes the audience culpable in all the horror unfolding on stage. A first-rate inquisition of our darkest tendencies. ... full review

Disturbing and highly entertaining!... full review

A riveting performance by all three actors, I was completely mesmerized by this play. The fact that Peter Kurten was a real person really added to the drama, and the whole concept of what is or is not normal was something my husband and I talked about all the way home. This play is the best play we have seen at this year's Fringe, if it gets extended, don't miss it!... full review

So twisted and dark and I couldn't get enough! Riveting, terrifying, touching, revolting. Everything you want in a fringe show!... full review

Dynamic, lively tempo, with thrills, chills, and a diverting expedition into the inverse mirror-relationship between a repressed defense attorney and a fully freed-up sex-maniac/killer in a juicy Victorian context. Edgar Allen Poe on speed, with excellent, disciplined lighting and low-budget, effective special effects to titillate and terrify. ... full review

I thoroughly enjoyed this show. It was exciting and dangerous and disturbing, but more than that, it was nuanced and thought-provoking. Dealing with such heavy subject matter and violent themes can be difficult or end up feeling overwhelming in my experience, but I felt the quality of the acting and production pulled me in and allowed me to go along for the journey. The play holds a mirror up to each of us and our actions, and raises questions about the nature of evil that don't have simple, concise answers. I got chills and thrills galore!!! Be warned, this show is INTENSE, but totally worth a watch if you don't scare easy and want to see something entertaining and unique.... full review

An excellently atmospheric, beautifully designed 3 person play about a German serial killer in the early 20th century. If this sounds appealing to you, you should definitely go.... full review

Has it really been 26 years since NORMAL’s premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival? Since the first rumble of the subversive work (of Anthony Neilson and other British playwrights such as Mark Ravenhill, Sarah Kane and Phillip Ridley) that would thunder into the In-yer-face movement? Praise be to the Vagrancy for finally giving this taut and transgressive play its very first west coast production. Let’s hope the awesome performances and high production values lead to a well-justified full run for this show.... full review

Great. Dark, edgy, frightening, delightful. Great use of horror genre on a live stage. An emotional and intillectual exploration of what makes a monster? What is normal? And what are we (the audience) really capable of? Loved it... full review

I was told this production was the best production so far at the fringe, and I wish it were running longer as I HIGHLY recommend seeing The Vagrancy’s “Normal” by Anthony Neilson. I applaud The Vagrancy for choosing a genre so seldomly performed in theatre; a psychological thriller in the realm of “The Silence of the Lambs”. Reading the synopsis, and/or the play itself, it would be very easy, directorially, to blindly presume this to be a protagonist vs. antagonist story; a serial killer conversing with his attorney. But one soon realizes that in order to manifest the play’s message, much of this story is reliant on who is telling it. The director, David Mancini, wisely forgoes this and makes Kurten’s attorney the storyteller (playe... full review