The Death of Brian (Theatresimple)

Edmonton Fringe Festival

4 Stars

 

Brian is dead.  Sort of.  He’s definitely naked, and…what is that he’s eating?!

The Death of Brian is a one-man zombie show, told from the point of view of an infected, reanimated zombie corpse.  I happen to love zombies, so this was an easy sell for me.

However, never mind the deliciously gruesome subject matter.  As a play…well, it’s believable.  And that’s high-praise for a one man zombie-themed character drama.  Sure, one must suspend certain ‘knowns’ for the plotline to make sense, but it’s surprisingly easy to feel a real connection with Brian, even as he is ravaging the corpses of the homeless, or stuffing medical waste down his gullet.

At times (especially near the end), the plot becomes somewhat hard to follow.  And there is a certain amount of gratuitous shock-value elements.  But after all, it’s a zombie show.  And the shock and the gore is half the fun.

…And as I’m sure zombie-Brian would agree, why chew the scenery if you could chew some intestines instead?