Edinburgh Fringe 2022
Game Night
Ear to Ear Productions Ltd
Venue: Greenside at Infirmary Street
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
“One night. One big announcement. One drink too many and more fights than there are positions in the Kama Sutra. With the arrival of their eccentric, trouble-riddled friends and spiteful relatives crashing, it doesn’t exactly go to plan. Trapped together, more alcohol being drank and more secrets revealed, will Michael and Jacob make it down the aisle?”
Review
An ensemble cast of seven talented young actors bring this dark comedy, LGBT-rooted, TV sitcom-style verbal and physical knockabout living room drama to life at Greenside. It’s games night and secrets are about to be revealed, love tested, assumptions blown out of the water and Twister will determine all. That’s all the plot clues you are going to get because this is a high octane pastiche that doesn’t miss a beat and had the audience howling with laughter and clapping at the best side swipe, backhander, bitchy one liners that shoot across the stage faster than a supersonic bunfight. All wrapped around an engaging, unfolding story.
Enough of that. This is a well penned scipt, shameless in its use of comedy series motifs and cliches. Holding it all together is a decent narrative, a mystery unfolding and yet also a touching exploration of love, a centre point around which the plot twists and turns and the banter, arguments, accusations and ultimate resolution circle around merrily. In places punkish, in others touchingly sweet, there’s variety here, themes explored, personality traits stretched to near destruction but with a comedic beating heart always beating boldly.
It gets a bit chaotic physically and verbally and the pace of the interaction demands further tighening of the dialogue as the run develops and beds in. This is a more than capable cast, joined up and together. That’s a strength as characters are well realised even as naturalism suddenly plunges into caricature and back again – just like an episode of your favoutite comedy TV series. Some of these characters are not very likeable, even grotesque and yet there’s a skill in this production that we are drawn towards them and we want to know what happens next.
Writing is slick, the plot moves quickly, there are a few genuine suprises, sight gags impress and even delight, this is will leave you breathless as the time shoots by.
The audience learned into this show which needs tigher blocking and honing but even if it is occasionally vocally and physically rough round the edges it’s a thoroughly funny, enjoyable, twisty-turny, offbeat, bold and out-there bundle of delight. Perfect for a late evening theatre show that’s a welcome alternative to sketch shows, improv and stand up. A very good show indeed.
