Venue: Helen Gardiner Phelan Playhouse, 79 Saint George St.
Remaining shows: July 11, 13 (sold out)
What’s the deal with Jerry Seinfeld’s observational humour? Is he a hack?
In this Lynchian exploration of Seinfeld, the ensemble gifts Jerry a modicum of self-reflection (1000% more than in the original sitcom) and pays homage to two of the most revolutionary TV shows of the ’90s: Seinfeld and Twin Peaks.
The plotlines were so Seinfeld that I found myself looking up whether “Mackinaw donuts” and a character chipping his tooth on a stale baguette George brought were canon. The jokes are side-splitting, the impersonations spot on, and the surrealism is true to Lynch — as bonkers as it is razor-sharp.
Absolutely everyone from the writers and cast, director, and all creatives (who studied and perform with comedic juggernauts like Second City and Bad Dog Theatre) are praiseworthy. However, I’d like to shout out the sound design of David Sharpe, who pulled everything together. Using original Seinfeld and Twin Peaks soundtracks plus other iconic composers (did I hear a little JG Thirwell?) intercut with menacing distortions and environmental sounds of the 90s, Sharpe creates a pitch-perfect sonic landscape for the shenanigans.
Whether you are a casual or die hard Seinfeld and Twin Peaks fan, come on down to Monks for a nice slice of cherry pie.
(The show is now sold out but if there is another run, don’t miss out.)
