Matt and Ben
Went in not knowing anything about the show, and it was an absolute blast!
A fun and funny show! The two performers were very committed and made their characters memorable and ridiculous, in a good way. They also made great use of their set and the props.
I definitely do think this show would resonate much more with people who are 'in' on the joke - ex. actors; anyone in the film/TV industry; people who follow Hollywood celebrities. I think the 'average' person who does not have a lot of pre-existing knowledge of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck might find the show a bit confusing or non-sensical.
If you are looking for a silly time with two very dedicated actors, then this is a good one to watch!
Disclosure: I know one of the performers in this piece.
Consider whether you can handle watching a play where the performers are eating onstage every few minutes and talking with their mouths full of food. The theatre is stuffy and smells like Doritos.
If you're fine with it, you might love this show. But - if you have misophonia, it’s better to avoid this production.
The two performers are skilled and the writing is clever and a bit dated. It’s a script that was a hit 23 years ago at the NY fringe.
Excellent, funny show. Worth seeing!
Opening night slayed!
From the great script, to "the script", to the staging and the energetic stage presence, this perfectly-paced Ode to the 90s is so immersive that at one point I actually caught myself thinking Matt and Ben were on stage... no cap! (Low key, the last 2 words of that sentence - and the first 2 of this one - are my mid-life crisis' attempt to stay current)
There are tons of 90s references and inferences that gave me an alternating, steady stream of chuckles, chortles, giggles and guffaws. Whether you are like me and have vivid memories of this decade and the film it refers to, or if you were born well after it and the first film you've seen by either of these 2 characters was Gone Girl or even The Odyssey, this play slaps.
Mad props to the cast and crew, and a big shout out to The Fringe for giving us this gift of live performances every year!
See it, support it, and Tip the Fringe!
Go see these idiots! What a ride. Matt and Ben is 70 minutes of well-paced ridiculous fun.
The '90s detail is epic. The props, the set dressing, the whole slightly grimy world of these two Boston bros before they were famous feels joyfully specific.
Casting is bang on.
Missy Cross's Matt is full oif charming ambition with a healthy dash of neuroticism. desperately wanting to be taken seriously while not always being quite as evolved as he thinks he is.
Veenu Sandhu's Ben is an absolute dumbass joy of a character. Lovable, oblivious, (a tad offensive) and impossible not to root for.
Both performers commit physically and that's a huge part of the fun. They throw themselves into the stupidity.
There's some sharp messaging too! We laughh at two men who still have a lot of growing up to do. It captures a version of the '90s we'd like to think we've moved beyond. Have we?
Full disclosure: I know and love these folks! Went opening night and had a blast.
Funny, fast, and commited. Now let's go watch more FRINGE!