Freshly Ground Theatre’s My Brain Made Me Do It explores everyday insanity in seven short plays of ridiculousness.
It features a parade of perfectly absurd characters and scenarios, including but not limited to: an alcoholic heart surgeon, a jerky eight year old with ADHD, an imaginary friend named Firenze and a security guard that doesn’t get sarcasm.
A tight script from Sam Floyd (also actor, of drunken surgeon fame) is laced with subtle gags and puns that slot in nicely beside all of the craziness; the wordplay doesn’t reek like an ad-hoc attempt to fit into the strict guidelines of content. The plays themselves explore the things we tell ourselves to feel better; the excuses for our abhorrent behaviours. Albeit, it does feel a bit too explicit at times – but I guess it’s fitting given the overblown nature of the scenes themselves. Some are a bit more abstract in their intentions, however, and The Imaginary Breakup ends up being the standout play.
Remy Coll, Anthea Greco and Sam Floyd are all superb performers, managing to jump through the hoops of a demanding script and keep it engaging despite the structure. My Brain Made Me Do It may be an exercise in insanity, but solid acting and writing keep you from turning as such.
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