Journalist Marnie Makowski arrives in Roswell, New Mexico, to unpick a conspiracy that braids local murders, alien landings, several of the twentieth century’s biggest moments, and a search for her missing sister.
That’s the plot summary of REDACTED, but as with any shaggy dog tale, the plot is less important than the journey. That’s not to say that the show doesn’t make sense – given a few viewings and a notepad, you’d probably find it does – but to say that the stars here are four physical performances that are so well-tuned you’ll often forget to pay attention to what’s actually going on.
One of two full runs this year from the international Voloz Collective (the other: The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much at the Pleasance), REDACTED feels like an in-universe play from a Wes Anderson movie, or a Complicité performance written on a caffeine surplus. What’s on offer are the clean Fringe theatre delights of a show rehearsed within an inch of its life, with every moment packed with smart sight gags and performance beats that might impress even the biggest physical theatre grouch.
Some moments may cause a head-scratch (how did we end up in Princess Diana’s fatal motorcade, again?) but this is an hour of almost uninterrupted invention.
REDACTED: The Cover-up of a Cover-up of a Cover-up, Pleasance Dome, until 30 Aug (not 12, 19, 24), 1.55pm