Fringe review: The Monkey's Paw

Reality and truth are at the forefront of The Monkey's Paw, the story of a man dealing with fatherhood, over a backdrop of extreme neurosis. The Characters of Mike and Tish are among the most developed of the Festival, with their internal struggles being opened up in each scene.

The play floats back and forth through time, flashing back to certain moments when the couple's child was "still around." Mike's fear of germs is the manifestation of his fear of intimacy. Since the loss of her child, Tish has been living in denial, refusing to leave their house because she fears missing their son if he returns.

The reality of the situation was confusing. Mike comes across like a Howard Hughes of the upper middle class. His life is filled with such intense guilt over the loss of his son, which mirrors he relationship with his own father and left him without the ability to express or feel love.

At times the confusion of the characters gets in the way of the piece. The depth of the story is barely explored. You are left wondering if the son was murdered by Mike or if he carelessly let him die. You don't even know if anyone else ever new they had a son. That is the sense of reality that you never get, but that is what I believe was intended.

I was very disappointed at the size of the crowd for this performance, it was so very small and at ETC that stands out more.

There is one more performance, tonight at 7PM at ETC, this play is worth coming out for.