★ ★ ★
“You have somehow managed to make the apocalypse boring” is a surprisingly relevant section of the script.
Greeting the audience with an ominous ’14 days into the apocalypse’ timestamp, alongside enough BAFTA-level guttural screaming to last a lifetime, Stanislavski Can’t Save Me From The Apocalypse asks how five theatrical camp counsellors will react when the world ends during their trip. Or at least, that’s what the show’s description says. In actuality, this somewhat central tenet is lost amongst the reversing time jumps, loveable crew of half-explored characters and a lot of empty space in which the titular ‘apocalypse’ seems never to materialise.
Despite this, the show remains an enjoyable one, brought to life by the characterisations each of the cast bring to their alter-egos. Whilst some could use some further character development & additional material within the script, each does a good job at bringing a unique flair to their performances.
This is most skilfully exhibited by Cate Johannessen’s Elizabeth (who also found time to produce the show) bringing an alluring stage presence & intensity to the embattled director of Into the Woods, as well as by Frankie Minnock’s Mary, the sole techie of the team who’s restrained frustration at the rest of their group provides an exciting tension to the storyline, as the effects of the apocalypse become ever-more pronounced.
But it is when all five cast members - Lydia Hopgood, Christie Griffin & Molly Wolff, alongside Johannessen & Minnock – are on stage together that this production truly comes into fruition. The chemistry and playfulness each has with the other comes across incredibly strongly throughout; they may be at each other’s throats, but there’s an underlying camaraderie that binds not only the performers, but the wider storyline together so expertly, & makes it such an enjoyable dynamic to witness.
Is it believable that these five counsellors are this close & cooperative having, assumedly, met only a short time before the apocalypse began? Potentially not, but given the importance of this relationship to the overall narrative, this can surely be atrributed to the need for ‘the show to go on’, right?
Where this production falters is in its wider narrative outside of the characters themselves, which I found to be underdeveloped & lacking at key points, & the manner in which the plot is structured fails to address that. Beginning from two weeks into the – as yet undefined – apocalypse & bizarrely working backwards until we arrive several days into the catastrophe, we’re treated to what would otherwise be considered spoilers relatively early into the plot, which somewhat undermines the tension that I feel was trying to be built.
Additionally, the pacing at several points felt slightly misjudged, with one particular action scene occurring at such a pace that it was almost inconsequential to the larger narrative, especially given the entirely too-generous helping of animal-like hysteria & harmonised screaming at various points.
Whilst the concept of this particular show is indeed an intriguing one, I feel as though the current interpretation of Stanislavski Can’t Save Me From The Apocalypse just doesn’t quite hit the mark at this stage. However, the strength of the performances & the concept itself lead me to believe that this production is so nearly there that a little reimagination could very surely fix its various shortcomings & propel it to a truly strong status. They may be a “seven in LA, a ten here in Maine”, but to reach that level in Edinburgh, it might need a rework.