Frog Man

For a show that boasts of a "full-blown amphibious metamorphosis" live on stage, it would be easy for Frog Man to fall under the weight of its own pretensions. Yet somehow this strange, innovative black comedy succeeds in maintaining a compelling story while showcasing some wholly original theatrical tricks.

Kenny Brook is a police frogman: his wife Kelly is a self-professed ‘domestic goddess’. Together they live a life of suburban bliss which they boast about in peals of insane, gloating laughter at the play’s opening. There is, of coarse, something much darker lurking behind this and Frog Man exceeds in exploring their turgid, murky pasts in several seamlessly interlocking timelines.

It’s the stage direction and lighting which really make the play stand out. The ‘underwater’ scenes are a sight to behold, and the creating of new settings (and sometimes even new characters) through clever use of a projector is a technique that could catch on.

But once past the madcap start, one enters the heart of the play’s absurdist stylings and occasionally quite disturbing scenes. The characters, with all their bizarre foibles and slightly cartoonish nature, can sometimes be a little hard to relate to, but by the end of the play they’ve created a weird yet fascinating drama.

If you reject the surreal premise early on you’re unlikely to get much enjoyment from this, but its technical ingenuity means Frog Man has more to offer beyond wacky antics.