Saturday, October 28, 2023

Overtoun: Twin Cities Horror Fest XII

Show:
Overtoun

By:
Spiral Theater

In Short:
Overtoun tells the story of Scotland’s infamous “dog suicide bridge”, from whose heights dogs have inexplicably leapt to their deaths. This horror-comedy explores our need to search for meaning in the unexplainable and our terrible realizations when we do not find it.

Selected Cast/Creative:
Directed by Kevin Duong. Written and assistant directed by Kyle Munshower. Featuring Anya Naylor, Anjeline Mae Ramirez, Mar Burris, Carlyn Grande, and Alec Logeman. 

Our Thoughts:
They did NOT have us at the plot description. A show about dog suicide? Yikes. HOWEVER, our dedication to seeing every show of the Twin Cities Horror Festival has absolutely paid off, cause this show is a delight.

How can a show about dog suicides be anything but grim? Here's a hint from a description of Spiral Theater from Springboard for the Arts:

"Spiral Theater aims to produce seriously silly shows that celebrate our most absurd selves, the wild possibilities of language, and the creative spirit of audiences and artists."

Mission accomplished. With one of the most polished scripts in the Festival, this show uses the strange occurrences at Overtoun Bridge to play with the tropes of murder dramas and have so much fun with language. The characterizations of the town's characters are sharp and distinct and beautifully performed. We will absolutely be keeping an eye out for future work by Spiral Theater. 

Several hours after the show, I realized that the form of the play reminded me of Tom Stoppard's The Real Inspector Hound, another script that plays with tropes. But Overtoun is also absolutely original and unique and a must-see. 

You Should See This If You Like:
Midsomer Murders and Police Squad!