In the depths of the Appalachian mountains, strange things are said to have occurred. A stop sign damaged. Birds seen in the Mayor’s birdbath. A dog gone missing.
The Bigfoot sightings are not, however, the only problem in this remote town. There is something deeper at play here. Throughout the piece, a critical lack of drinking water is occasionally referenced, revealing the possible corruption of the otherwise charming mayor and touching on larger, global issues, as Xhloe and Natasha tend to do in their pieces.
The duo’s unique theatrical style lends itself well to the presentation of a variety of humorous characters. One second they are the neighbourhood stoners, questioning idly how their bike ended up mangled in a tree, before switching easily to the cold, unnerving manner of the crisis management correspondent, who informs us that ‘the crisis team are running just a little bit behind’, even as we know they will never show up.
While the performers’ theatrical skill and potent physical chemistry are undeniable, at times their style of constantly interrupting one another and the relentless broken-up nature of their conversations can become overly confusing, especially when the plot of the show is already difficult to follow. For example, one key question that goes unanswered even at the end of the show is the teenagers’ motivation in creating the Bigfoot ruse at all. The show often felt unbalanced, exploring in detail questions such as whether a new Dairy Queen would be a good addition in the town, but barely touching the subject of a young man’s death and what part the pair had to play in it.
The lighting and sound design carried out by Sagnelli and Kane deserves a mention, accompanying other elements of the show very effectively, such as the steampunk costume design and the huge, monstrous Sasquatch puppet.
Through this show, Xhloe and Natasha question who gets to tell the main narrative and why? Who should we trust? What is the meaning of truth?
Bigfoot Ripped my Dog in Half and I saw It is running until 30 August at Main Hall at Summerhall. Buy tickets here.
Photo credits to Morgan McDowell
