ED FRINGE 2023 REVIEW | The Dark Room
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Reviewer - Jordan
*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review
I am going to preface this review by saying that I have seen The Dark Room before, it was the only show of the Fringe that I came into knowing full well what I was getting into.
And I was excited.
The Dark Room shouldn’t be considered a show, it is an experience, one that John Robertson has been developing and honing to perfection for a number of years now. He tours the show all over the world and streams on Twitch as well, so even if you can’t catch him at the Fringe, there are plenty of other ways to experience The Dark Room.
The show itself is a Neo-Brechtian cyberpunk- dystopian fusion presentation of a “live action video game” based on the old text based adventure games, which as John likes to point out, should not be considered adventurous, nor games. The insanity begins as the set is plunged into darkness and video begins to play with an ominous voiceover welcoming everyone to the show and briefly highlighting the concept before the man himself charges onto the stage wearing some very form fitting trousers and some “modified” (ie. with added spikes) American Football armour, and not a lot else. Once the graphics have been “activated” (ie. John holds a torch to his face) the show begins in earnest.
We are treated to a review of the Table of Wonders, full of the possible prizes for the unlucky contestants who play but don’t manage to escape. For this show that included several baguettes, loaves of bread, tortillas, and several DVD’s that I suspect John collected from a charity shop on his way to the event. And of course, the recurring prize handed out at the end of the show to the audience member who made the biggest impact, the Flamboyant Potato (a pineapple).
I do not want to give too much of the show itself away, as I feel that the first time you see it you should absolutely attend with zero idea of what is about to happen to you. And I say the first time, as I have yet to meet someone who has attended one of John's performances who didn’t instantly want to attend again.
In fact, it is highly likely that upon attending The Dark Room you will immediately recognize that there are several people present who have attended before, shouting along with John as he guides you through the game, with such memorable lines as “You awake to find yourself in a dark room!” and “You die! You die! You die! You die!”, and “Bullshit you see! Do you see?!” and of course, who can forget “Like your mum!”.
I have seen The Dark Room a number of times in person, but not nearly as many times as I would like, I have seen John instantly turn a stupid off-hand comment into a recurring joke that people will bring up years later or strip down to his boxers and carry on with the show during a debilitating heat wave. But what impresses me the most is that while delivering one of the most intense, energised and above all hilarious performances, he will always go out of his way to make sure that the people who take part are, if not comfortable, at least made aware that they only have to do whatever they are comfortable with.
The Dark Room is my must-see show of the Fringe, and you should definitely be checking it out.
At Gilded Balloon Teviot until 27 Aug.
