Words: Kiera Harper
Image: Natalie Powers
5 Stars
Set in Upstate Wherever, USA, in the year two thousand who cares, The Real Kyle McCarren follows Andy Roninson as he tries to reconcile the loss of his best friend Kyle by telling an honest depiction of him, that being that he was kind of the worst.
This incredibly well-written show will hit you in the heart whether you’ve lost a best friend or not. With incredible songs and excellent performances from the whole cast, The Real Kyle McCarren is utterly electric. Its Jonathan Larson-style writing helps capture the essence of the time around Kyle’s death, with his songs, style and slang feeling like they belong in the 2010s.
The Real Kyle McCarren is an excellent exploration of how music connects us and reveals a deeper version of ourselves to one another. It delves into the struggle of loss and the realisation that you’ll never know a whole person, just one version of them. The show attempts to piece these versions together to build the real version of Kyle, yet that created real person will never be him, and that’s the hardest part about loss.
While this show is built in Roninson’s grief, we feel the impacts of Kyle’s death on everyone from his mum Siobhan, (ex)girlfriend, university friend and other family members. Each character is real and distinct, even when one actor plays multiple roles. This show serves as a reminder to lean on others and climb out of the grief together, even if that means writing a show about a loved one’s loss to do so.
The Real Kyle McCarren is a brilliant, emotional, well-written and performed show destined for Broadway and the West End. It’s one you won’t want to miss.
The Real Kyle McCarren
Forth at Pleasance Courtyard
13:50
5th – 30th August