It is impossible to deny the energy in this fringe hit. It’s written and devised by its performers, Xhloe Rice and Natasha Roland, who bound around the stage with impressive gymnastics and embody numerous roles. Their hard work is clear, their physical skill admirable and their efforts contagious. The duo command their stage, and the show is packed with moments and a soundtrack that’s sure to prove memorable. It is a real shame that the problems in the piece cannot be disguised by such antics. Despite the clear talent involved, we never break out of a sketchy treatment.
The story is not easy to follow. Two teenage friends claim that the cause of a road accident is a Sasquatch, and their little lie rapidly expands. Hysteria hits their “three-traffic-light town”, there are more sightings and people become scared. A lot of this is well done, especially the quick switches between characters. Some excellent lighting and sound design reflect the mania. But there’s a thinness to the characters – even in our lead protagonists, who talk a lot about Dairy Queens – while a sheriff with a backstory feels like a missed opportunity. It all ends up just a little too puzzling.
The sense of place is vague (to me, anyway), with a flood having rendered the town’s water supply dangerous. The treatment of its inhabitants borders on caricature, and the attempts at humour through this are unsuccessful. Thankfully, there is more going on than simply mocking the locals, who join in with the lie, each with their own motivations in mind.
The show’s strengths come in sections showing political pressure and the involvement of a government agency called the Crisis Response Team. The idea that the truth is being played with, and that fear is being enjoyed and manipulated, is interesting. A final suggestion that Bigfoot might be real – or at least real now that the stories have created it – could be explored more. The show comes close to moments that are both sensible and sinister. That combination intrigues, but too much gets in the way.
Until 26 September 2026
Photo by Jennifer Forward Hayter