The Adversary - Hilariously Thought Provoking

Andrew Bailey’s “The Adversary” is hilarious, poignant and a little disturbing. Almost introverted and beautifully simple, Bailey himself is a bit of character with a unique vocal rhythm and a delivery style that incorporates . . . dramatic pauses. But he is charming and vulnerable and honest and his portrayal of the characters that he has encountered in his life is vivid, empathetic and, well . . . exciting.

In the beginning, the use of “locations” with light and moving from one spot to another felt a bit unnecessary for one guy up on a stage, but as the action progressed it helped solidify the world he was creating. I loved the opening imagery although I wish the puppets had book-ended the piece. It felt tacked on to the rest of the narrative. Just something small that wouldn’t distract from the power of the ending, like a  silhouette of the alligator (or dragon?), or a crunching sound in the blackout.

I loved how Bailey used the angle of light on his face as a “costume change” for characters. He has a very expressive face and it worked really well. I left this show thinking and feeling a lot of different things and for me that is the whole point of theatre. This story will stay with me for quite some time.