What I liked
The physicality was impeccable— every actor was called upon to embody human and animal forms alike— Damla’s physical work as Lucy, the chimp who comes to think she’s a human, was so incredibly thorough it was easy to forget you were watching an actress, and truly started to see the world they were creating, using nothing but their bodies and some incredibly simple costumes/set pieces. I loved this aspect of the direction— aside from a few pivotal pieces that were key in the plot and helped establish the time period (i.e. a record player, Lucy’s mirror, and 70s male porn) essentially everything was created in action— actors mimed eating and smoking, and often used a piece of rope as a stand in for other props— rags, books, food, etc. This worked incredibly well for a Fringe show, but didn’t feel like they were paring it down for the sake of Fringe like some productions, it fit into the overall feel and style of the show, which was awesome. (I really dislike it when shows try to cram the stage with realistic props that aren’t really necessary— a black box will always be a black box, not a bedroom…!) Oh and if it weren’t clear, I loved the didgeridoo. It was so incredibly effective, heightening the drama of the scenes where it was used. I also didn’t know it was coming so it was a really intense surprise!
What I didn't like
Can’t think of much— it was so polished. I hope this lives on after Fringe, it deserves to.
My overall impression
This is an absolute must see. (For starters: LIVE DIDGERIDOO! That should be enough.) I came across this show because it randomly fit in my viewing schedule and am beyond delighted that I chanced it. This show takes an already fascinating/disturbing real life story and transforms it into a thought-provoking, transfixing work of theater. The ensemble’s strong physical acting, the excellent direction, elegantly simple stage design and haunting musical accompaniment created a total work of art that completely transports the audience in a truly theatrical experience. I cannot recommend this enough: this is what you hope to see when you go into a theater, something that really uses theatricality, not something that pretends to be television. This is theater in the truest sense.
