Promised black comedy and a bevy of fake beards by the show’s blurb, we receive little of the former and a mere taste of the latter’s raw potential. Based on the sixteenth-century North Berwick witch trials, the play flounders between the historical and the pantomimic, never certain which direction it’s aiming at. Long informative voice-overs deteriorate into a means of forcing in too much irrelevant detail, while the bumbling of lines, absence of many necessary props, and un-energetic performances (with some exceptions), make it feel like we’re watching a read-through or rehearsal. Sporadic chuckles from the audience suggest that not all of the jokes flopped, but this show would profit from less historical plot-line and more self-aware pantomime.
Laughing Horse at The Counting House, 13 – 20 Aug, 1.15pm (2.15pm), free, fpp238.
tw rating 1/5
[hw]
Sections: by Hilary White - ED2011 Theatre Reviews - tw rating 1/5 | Tags: Laughing Horse Free Festival, Stay Curious Productions
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