Ben Bain

I'm not a huge fan of one-person shows - and honestly didn't know going in that this was one - but this was an interesting structure, flashing back to a series of traumatic events in Justin's life, interspersed with Shakespearean monologues and soliloquies from his acting roles. It started a little slow, but built momentum as it grew darker and his life spiralled deeper out of control, and he was left to confront all these personal tragedies. As much as I wasn't sure off the top, I was hooked by the middle, and fully engaged by the end, as he navigated loss after loss.

As a summer camp lifer, I feel like the show touched on so many core memories from my childhood as a camper and early-20s as staff. The show was, in parts, both a comedic and poignant coming-of-age story. I think for me, it was not just about the meaning of friendship and how friendships evolve as we age and grow apart, but it was also about the meaning of camp itself. My favourite line from the show was that just because something happened at camp, doesn't mean it isn't real.

But I would be remiss to say that this is just a great show about summer camp. The music - with a live band - was great, and the lyrics were clever and snappy. But the performances were outstanding. You know how sometimes child actors seem like child actors? This was not that. These were actors who happened to be youth. They were just so entertaining, and brought great energy to their characterization and especially to the choreography. The audience also brought great, supportive energy, making the evening feel like the camp plays of my own youth and adding to the overall experience.