Anthony Rapp – Without You (2.5*)

Ian’s review…

We got some comps to see this and it happened to fit between another couple of shows, so we went along.  Regardless of what it says in the programme, this is essentially a soliloquy about mortality and death.

By British standards, this show could easily be classified as “oversharing”, or even “inflicting personal grief on an audience as a substitue for therapy”.  It is very intense, and quite compelling.  The musical numbers are competent but unspectacular.  It felt like a long hour.

I really can’t work out exactly what to make of it.  I’m glad I saw it, but I didn’t really enjoy it.  It wasn’t fun, but it was compelling and emotional.

Seeing things like this is one of the reasons I love the Fringe because I wouldn’t see it any other time, but I’m going to stop short of recommending it.

Ruth’s review…

We squeezed this show in because we got free tickets and we had time. Ah that dodgy 10.30pm slot. It is hard to know what to say about this. It was billed as a musical and it was about a guy who starred in Rent on Broadway and his experience of being in Rent and also the death of two people close to him. Interspersed with songs from Rent and other songs. It was extremely personal, very over-shary and a bit uncomfortable to watch. Before the deaths occurred I already thought it was self-indulgent but it feels a bit mean to say that when it got so emotional. Ah, I dunno. Others loved it, it was the first standing O I’ve seen at the Fringe. Not from me though. I’m afraid I don’t think he was quite a good enough singer to pull off a solo show. This was like the other side of the coin to the Phantom show I saw yesterday. Both were about life imitating art, both were about difficult emotional times, but Phantom was endearing and self deprecating, whereas this one was mawkish.