Ottawa Fringe 2014. The City That Eats You

The Story :  Playwright Jayson McDonald tackles identity, privacy and societal disintegration with this sci-fi police story for two actors. He also frequently waxes poetic, a less than desirable move. Without revealing too much of the interminable plot, the story takes place at some future time when a virus has given people the mental ability to share memories. That’s helpful when a constable who’s particularly proficient at rummaging through the heads of others (all played by the second actor) goes searching for a missing woman. If you attend the show, you’ll learn the outcome.

Pros :  With the current flap about police access to our private digital lives, McDonald may have hit a topical nerve. There’s also some fun speculation about accessing memories of events that have not yet happened.

Cons:   The script comes off as prime-time television fare, and the actors aren’t up to the demands of their roles.

Verdict A case of unfulfilled potential.

The City That Eats You

Squirrels at War, London, Ont.

Arts Court Library