Checked Out
It’s a busy day at the Switzer-Smith hotel’s 100th anniversary, and two bellhops—reckless Cora and organized Ethan—navigate a chaotic shift of missing luggage, mistaken identities, and mobsters. From the creatives behind the Sterling-nominated Talk Treaty to Me (____) and High and Dry (_____) comes a farce with only 2 actors!
💎 Two actors played multiple characters 👗 The antics and physical comedy remind me of Steve Martin’s work 💃The gentleman out of the pair had sweat absolutely pouring off of him halfway through the play from all his running around on the stage. Now THAT is DEDICATION. Your standing ovation was from me that night. 😘
He and his costar were exceptional, and I wish I could have had the opportunity to tell them. 🛗I couldn’t wait to see what character would pop out of the elevator next. 😂
CheckedOutFringe2025 SlapstickHumour AComedyOfErrors
Not only is this a laugh a minute riot, it's also a talented cast of 2! What a work of creative genius by both actors! With a dance number in the middle!
There's no wonder it's sold out. Do yourself a favour and grab the tickets that release an hour before showtime. You won't regret it!
Also, the farmers market parking allows for great accessibility. An excellent venue as well.
This was my first Fringe show of this year's festival, and I loved this one! Lots of laughs throughout, and the two actors play off each other wonderfully, and are able to play numerous characters with a slight change of costume. I went opening night, and there were a couple of malfunctions that happened with the set (that I don't think were supposed to!), but the actors flawlessly went with the flow and made it all work just fine. I definitely recommend this one if you are in the mood for some light-hearted comedy.
Note about the Gateway theatre - the first couple of rows are using the plastic, folding chairs, but the rest of the theatre has much more comfortable seats. If that matters to you, get in line early!
Have you ever been to a hotel with bellhops? I personally have never but Checked Out sure made me feel like I was in a hotel watching a story play out. From friends fighting to making up, this show was a fun experience loved by the audience.
Checked Out directed by Sam Villetard and play written by Samantha Fraughton is a story about 2 friend bellhops who work together in a hotel that is having its 100th anniversary. This friendship duo is able to work together until a problem arises that makes them both compete against each other. Along with lots of miscommunication and miss placement, this show is truly something unique.
Actors Holly Wandler who played Cora and Sam Free who played Ethan did a fantastic performance. Being able to embody their characters to a tea with their physicality and expressions. Both actors were able to give the audience 2 scenes at once in an organized manner that did not feel overwhelming and made certain situations more comedic. Both performers were able to also play multiple other characters that I will not mention to keep it a surprise, but when they both had to play the same character and different times, they did a great job in making the character the exact same personality wise keeping the audience in the story.
This show had multiple design elements that helped us image a hotel building. Have multiple suitcases, a makeshift elevator, and costumes for the bellhop characters and other smaller costume pieces to represent other characters. Along with these design elements, lighting and music was used to help set the scene, emotion and situation. All fitting perfectly into this chaotic story.
I loved this show so much, and you can really see the time and effort that the cast, directors, and techs put into this show. All the jokes were landed and the audience also helped the show feel more relaxed. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a show that stands out. This performance was like a fresh breath of air and I would love to watch it again.
"A well-crafted comedy-drama that excels in both performance and storytelling. The cast delivers standout acting, and the plot is engaging from start to finish. A thoroughly entertaining experience with plenty of laughs—undoubtedly one of the stronger entries in its genre."
Very slapstick, very comedy of errors. For what it was, I think they did well. I just think I saw funnier shows that day so it didn’t quite hit for me. Part of that could also be that it was a later show and that the chairs at Gateway are so tiny and inaccessible. That being said, the performances were great and I would somewhat recommend it for the physical comedy moreso than the script.