Well, in a festival with 3,000 performances, they all can’t be winners, can they?
Although we did find and publish not one list, but two lists of plays we thought were great, today we have some duds. Three to be precise.
Buy hey, maybe you’ll like them: one man gathers what another another man spills.
John Kent Walters is Frankie Monroe: Dead!!!
John Kent Walters’ Frankie Monroe: Dead!!! is part clown show, part stand-up, with a dash of slapstick and a streak of gallows humor. Walters is a well-known UK comedian, here performing as his character Frankie Monroe who is a music promoter dragged to hell “by his balls,” now putting on a show in the underworld.
But he wants out of hell to reclaim his club from Mr. Vegas who made it fancy.
Dressed in a Beetlejuice-inspired getup, Walters delivers a sub-hour set mixing crowd work, teasing, and UK-centric references. His heavy accent, combined with colloquial slang, made much of the humor difficult for non-local audiences to grasp. In the cramped, overheated venue, the experience was at times more punishing than entertaining.
That said, the show had its moments. It wasn’t without laughs, but the pacing lagged, and too many jokes hinged on insider knowledge. For those in on the references, it may be a riot.
For outsiders, it’s a more uneven ride.
The Butterfly Who Flew into the Rave
Hyped by multiple Fringe-goers as a must-see, The Butterfly Who Flew into the Rave is an hour-long endurance feat by three New Zealand dancers performing to relentless techno in a strobe-heavy, high-decibel environment.
The choreography is impressive, the dancers’ energy unwavering, and the synergy between them undeniable. However, the blaring sound, aggressive lighting, and unyielding beat made the performance more of a sensory assault than an artistic experience for those not predisposed to enjoy club culture.
The audience around us went wild, clearly loving it. But if you dislike techno or strobe-heavy shows, this is not for you.
The Centre of the Universe
A one-woman play about a Gen Z wannabe influencer who believes fame and fortune are her destiny simply because she exists, The Centre of the Universe is intentionally built around an unlikable protagonist. We meet her at 15, follow her to 23, and watch her attempt to manufacture a celebrity persona.
The actress delivers a strong performance, but the script offers little new insight into social media culture, influencer obsession, or Gen Z entitlement. The show lacks the satire, bite, or self-awareness that could have elevated it beyond a straightforward character study.
Half-full at performance, it felt underpowered. Despite the talent on stage, she can act and has a future, the writing didn’t deliver enough depth, humor, or fresh perspective.
