Lists for the End of the World – Summerhall Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Here’s Dedee with more from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival:

Lists For the End of the World is a show composed entirely of crowd-sourced lists, from all kinds of people in all kinds of places – including the audience as they queue up to take their seats. To date, over 200 people have contributed their lists to the show, with that number growing every week.

I’m a list maker, and I really liked the show – so I thought I’d start this review with a list:

Things I liked about this show:

– the fact that it’s about lists
– the variety of lists
– the many topics each list covers

– the lovely Welsh accent of one of the actors

– the range of content in each list

The lists are presented in a myriad of ways – from being read out loud and proud, to more hushed secretive tones. Sung to a familiar tune, or moshed to with a 90s grunge soundtrack. Written in silence on the board. Or using our audience contributions, which they sort into categories with impressive speed.

Some lists they read out:

• Things I want to do before I die – a good universal starting point, with a surprising range of answers
• A frantic read of the never-ending ‘Things that never get done’ list- Some lists are fun and happy: Times my 8 yr old self would be proud of me
  – Some are a bit creepy: Places I would hide a body
  – Some are brutally honest: What would you do if you knew no one else would find out?
• Some lists are very revealing – especially the more personal ones you wouldn’t normally read out loud: Things I’m scared to ask my parents

The wide range of lists means there’s something everyone can relate to. There are laughs of recognition at certain points, when we hear something that echoes our own lives. It highlights things we have in common, but also celebrates our differences, using “laughs, music, sad times, romance, some dancing, and a look at the world through other people’s eyes.”

Lists For the End of the World is a thought provoking and enlightening piece of theatre. Recommended for all the list makers out there.

5 stars

Dedee W

 

Tickets from: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/lists-for-the-end-of-the-world