Ape Play
I loved this play! Great use of space, excellent performances across the board, sweet and touching and funny, lovely design elements. Bravo to the whole team and I hope it gets another run!
Not only is this show filled with hilarious ape references and jokes (my absolute favourite is the small background detail that apes use bananas as a form of smelling salts), but this show also has high philosophical concepts that struggle with art and the process of creation that can be relatable to a great many - not just a great ape. Must see!
This was both profound and extremely funny. The wit from the writing combined with the excellent delivery from the actors exceeded my expectations. Such an original and fun play that deserves more attention!
So clever, so funny; from profound thought centred around bananas to each punny apeism, it all made me belly laugh. Hal Rotman’s writing is masterful and so very silly. The space is expertly blocked so the actors give you a surround-sound experience in addition to their hilarious physical performances and delivery. Each ape was fully realized even if they weren’t thinking about it as seriously as Diane. 5/5 banana inhalants, would see again! 🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌
I came to see Ape Play not knowing what to expect and wow! What a well done show that some how fits an existential thought piece hidden in physical comedy and light humour, all in a punchy 30 min set. This show would be fantastic for kids/school tours, but would a-peel (pun intended) to all ages!
This is a great little Fringe play written and directed by Hal Rotman. We are transported to the forests of Indonesia where we encounter a community of apes. One ape in particular, Diane, played by Laura Spencer with a New York accent, has grand ambitions. She wants to write an opus on a typewriter that she found that will live on after her death and bring her esteem, even amongst humans. Her friend, Bonzo, played by Max Miller, is worried that her preoccupation with besting the humans is divorcing her from appreciating the best parts of being an ape, and making her miserable in the process. Indeed, the other young monkeys played by Ella Haefele and Dylan Jackson are even less sophisticated and articulate than Bonzo, and they are happy as clams playing blissfully and joyfully together. Bonzo decides to take Diane to see the wisest ape in their community, played with great gravitas by River Moser, who can hopefully help her find a more emotionally and intellectually fulfilling path. Diane resists at first, but gets coaxed into finding community with the other apes through her love of Bonzo. Click the link to read the full review
Witty, charming, truly hilarious, and elevated by some stellar performances. One of the cleverest, clearest new scripts I’ve heard in awhile. I loved it! A definite fringe favourite!
The writing is both witty and wholesome, the cast was hilarious, and the creativity of an immersive 360, outdoor play experience is like something I’ve never seen before - Spectacular!