I had the pleasure of meeting Andrew on the circuit last year- but unfortunately missed his production of comfy wizard then. But I'm thankful I got to see it live and in Winnipeg!
The show has a lot of potential. Between nostalgia, cult behavior and the state of the world, Andrew paints an interesting foray into escapism that presents the cult way of life as something aspiration and relaxing.
Andrew plays both an aspiring escapist and the comfy wizard himself- and while there is a lot here to enjoy the path into the cult never delves into the absurdity of it all. It's often too silly to be serious, but at the same time, serious things that could be mined for more conflict and interest are often glossed over.
There's a lot here to enjoy and Andrew is a fine casual presence onstage which instantly puts the audience at ease. The issues arise when the bits that could be stretched into an absolutely hilarious takedown of cultism, and could serve as a warning to those who may find themselves in a similar space, are instead glossed over and never given enough depth to stick.
The play starts a bit slow, but puts the motor down flying through the second half of the play with a riotous speed.
The best parts of the show are where it sinks into the absurdity- inviting audience members up to participate, a group stoning and a deadly jolly rancher are all brilliant touches- but the overall production could benefit from a bit more time in the oven. This is a dynamite idea that I can't wait to see develop further.