Blanket Fort – a confusing comedy.

In our current moment, a play about the struggles of unemployment and being unable to pay one’s rent would seem to be quite a relatable one (especially for millennials).   Beginning with three roommates who fail to make the monthly payment to the landlord, the story spirals into occasions of utter chaos and extremity (including when the group accidentally murders a bird in an odd game of ‘bird-beer’ pong). The roommates, the hard-working but dissatisfied Mark (Andy Kellie), the flighty Xan (Carley Richards) and the deadbeat Haydn (Jon Dickey) are drawn into conflict with each other as the rent remains unpaid and their illicit trips to the roof continue.

While each of the actors do a realistic and convincing portrayal of their characters (including the so-called ‘evil’ landlord, whose actor is uncredited), the ideas which the play directs sympathy towards seems a bit misplaced. Mark, for instance, becomes visibly irritated with Haydn when it turns out that he has still made no effort to find a job. Haydn and Xan then attack him as caring only for himself and being uncompassionate. In this instance, however, it’s hard to not sympathize with Mark; surely, it’s only natural for someone to feel annoyance at a roommate who won’t chip in to help with the rent? As well, the portrayal of the landlord as the evil character both in the Fringe program and show feels unconvincing – at the end of the day, he’s really just doing his job (or at least, one would think so). Overall, the humour and platitudes (notably “Shit doesn’t have to make sense”) expressed in Blanket Fort don’t quite make up for the somewhat nihilistic storyline. While there’s plenty of funny and absurd moments to be had in the show, it’s not one which compels deep thinking of the challenges faced by millennials today.

Blanket Fort continues at the Arts Court Library in Arts Court for the Ottawa Fringe Festival until June 24. For show times and tickets, see http://ottawafringe.com/shows/blanket-fort/