This comedy thriller by Israeli duo Elephant and the Mouse has a plot twist so delicious that giving it away would be murder... ooh, have I said too much?
An ambitious young playwright approaches the artistic director of a repertory theatre about a production of his first play, but the director seems to have trouble keeping track of the conversation and has an unsettling fascination with Hamlet. Before long we also find out that the playwright's deceased father died mysteriously playing the role he was most famous for: Hamlet.
Playwright Eldad Cohen's script is terribly clever. Every little detail eventually forms part of the whole picture; he uses quotes, repetition and action to present the story in a chillingly artistic way.
This is a play that demands a lot from its cast, and both performers deliver virtuosic acting. Erez Drigues plays the director with precision of movement and seemingly effortless comic timing. Iftach Jeffrey Ophir handles two characters with alacrity and admirable focus, moving between them with great ease as if a switch is being flipped on and off somewhere in his mind.
The staging is as effective as the script and, with just a few simple items on stage, Repertory Theatre manages to embody the spirit of the Fringe. A company does not need an elaborate set when it has a well-written play to perform, talented actors on stage and good technical support.
It is a bit of a pity that this excellent show’s copy on the Fringe programme does not do it justice. Don't be put off by the listing. Go see these guys before their run ends.
