Fiji, Omnibus Theatre - ★★★★ - Until November 24, 2019
If you can't digest a metaphor this may not be your perfect date night. However, this is an amusing short play that uses gay cannibalism to comment quite cleverly on relationships, communication and social taboos.There is some good fun here and some sharp insights, but the dialogue and situation can sometimes seem a little contrived. One almost hears the writers' tossing about their ideas as they explore the parameters of their subject matter. "That'll work" and it does most of the time, mainly due to some good quips and engaging repartee supported by the strong acting skills that the principals bring to their piece. Pedro Leandro is quite charming as the putative meal plan and Edward Stone manages to make the potential gourmand quite a sympathetic character. The vulnerability/intimacy quiz questions also serve as a good device to bring home the play's message, and Evan Lordan has managed to achieve just the right note of tongue-in-cheek realism that the work requires. All in all the play takes cannibalism, an idea that is the basis of many religious rites, even before Christianity's metaphorical manipulation of it, and manages to wring out both humour and an exploration of ideas as diverse as dating apps and sexual obsessions. Add some shock value, though not quite of the Hannibal Lecter order, and we get a thoroughly entertaining and often thought provoking evening in the theatre!
Reviewed by J.C.
Our Score: ☆☆☆☆
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WHEN, WHERE, GETTING THERE:
Until November 24, 2019
Tue - Sat: 7:30 pm, Sun: 4 pm
Omnibus Theatre
Nearest tube: Clapham Common
https://www.omnibus-clapham.org/fiji/