Rating: ★★★★
Venue: Queen Dome at Pleasance Dome
She's not crazy – she's just done her research. On Facebook. At 3am. With a glass of pinot. Meet Sharon Hargreaves: part-time keyboard warrior, full-time flat-Earth believer, forever tumbling down online rabbit holes. When she heads to a flat Earth convention in Vegas, a Shakespearean mix-up sends her spiralling into chaos, conspiracies and unexpected self-discovery. With best mate Debs and a crew of lovable oddballs, Sharon sets out to expose "the truth". What she finds? Big laughs, bigger tunes and absolutely zero scientific credibility. This is a gloriously unhinged, surprisingly heartfelt musical comedy.
We all know the earth is on fire, but the topic of climate change and the current crises were never really touched upon in this production, which felt like a missed opportunity. With Hot Mess currently running with a similar vibe and style, it feels like The Shocking Truth About Flat Earth is vying to take its place - the question is: why now, and what does it have to offer that existing shows don’t?
Its strengths are clear: great songs, a talented cast, engaging plot, and an all-round fun time. The team embraces the cheap set and minimal props, with almost every actor multi-roling a host of characters, and it makes for a very solid performance. But there are still elements missing - important ones. There aren’t many catchy melodies, and I can’t say 24 hours later I still had any of the tunes in my head. The story was in dire need of some new dynamics, as it is currently all very one note (a great note at that, but even the wittiest writing gets old after an hour with little reprieve), a sub-plot or some more serious moments definitely wouldn’t hurt.
What this show does, it does well, however it feels like we need an entire second act for it to resonate as a completed production (which is not what Fringe Theatre should be). With increased variation in song types, and more of a rollercoaster for the audiences’ emotions, I would definitely be back to revisit this one in the future.
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