Brighton Fringe 2019
Mozzz!
Brighton Theatre
Genre: Drama, New Writing, Solo Show, Theatre
Venue: Rialto Theatre
Festival: Brighton Fringe
Low Down
A one-day-old male mosquito looks forward to joining the mile-high club. He invites you to donate a sip of your blood to nurture his children. But there’s a war on and the most dangerous species on earth is dying by the million. Can science stop the carnage? Whose side is our Mozzz on?
Review
Mozzz, written and performed by Richard Crane and directed by Faynia Williams is the tale of the 7-day life of a mosquito.
The performance I saw was absent the full lighting and sound effects, due to an unfortunate accident but this didn’t really detract from the show.
Cranes costume is comical, goggles and flying cap with wiggly wired antenna, a black shirt with wings on the back. The play starts off making the most of the comic opportunities presented by a mosquito with human sensibilities and there are plenty of laughs throughout the show but this isn’t just a comedy. It leads us into a profound meditation on humans impact on the planet, our manipulation of our fellow creatures and our hubris in believing we can predict the outcome of our meddling.
If you know little about mosquitos, you will by the end of the play. There’s a lot of well-researched information but it’s a testament to the writing that this never feels like you’re being lectured to. The writing is excellent, lots of clever wordplay and the shifts of tone sneak up on you, drawing you into the story.
Richard Crane is charming as the eponymous hero of the tale, making full use of the stage and auditorium and addressing the audience directly in an engaging manner.
Mozz runs until Thursday 23rd May at the Rialto and is a very good show, well worth checking out.