God: A Comedy by Woody Allen

Woody Allen's 1975 philosophical comedy is masterfully interpreted in this deliciously absurd production. Neurotic playwright Hepatitis and reluctant leading man Diabetes ponder the implications of God's existence as they desperately search for a way to conclude their play.

Things get complicated when the men discover they're merely characters in a play-within-a-play and begin to doubt their own free will. Clinging to the play's chaotic, twisting plot like rodeo riders, the 12-strong cast from student theatre group UCLU Runaground handle Allen's frantic philosophising with commendable ease. The leading actors' comically exaggerated performances are well pitched and supported by boisterous interjections from the chorus.

This confident production frequently subverts expectations: characters from the various meta-plays migrate into the audience, a nomadic Blanche Dubois emerges inexplicably from the wings, and the deus ex machina pops out of a wheelie bin. Ingenious staging adds another layer of humour to this wickedly funny play as the actors become the scenery, rendering toilet cubicles, furniture and light fittings in a way that is startlingly believable. This shifting human set fuels the production's rapid pace and underscores the play's prevailing air of lunacy.

With talented contemporary writers bringing fresh plays to the Fringe, it's tempting to seek out the new rather than revisit the old. But it's worth making an exception for this innovative offering. Witty and irreverent, God... is an awful lot of fun.