Super Tuesday @ Surgeon's Hall

Review by Kayleigh Donaldson | 19 Sep 2013

The landscape and history of American politics is one ubiquitous with corruption, backstabbing, conspiracies and colourful characters who can lead nations with a charismatic smile. John F. Kennedy’s election in 1960, which coincided with the beginning of televised debates and came in the aftermath of the McCarthy witch-hunts, signalled a huge shift in the way the American people view their leaders. This is a period of history rife with dramatic potential, and it is amazing that Super Tuesday takes such a fascinating topic and makes it boring.

As Kennedy’s Republican opposition sits alone in a hotel room on election night (the first of many eye-rolling moments throughout the 60 minute piece), he argues with his spiteful but equally ambitious wife about the corruption, dirty mob dealings and infidelities that may cost them victory. For some reason, the writer, producer and director Al Carretta has chosen to mix fact with fiction and give the audience Jack Cassidy instead of Nixon. The combination of well-known history with sloppily-written drama never sits well, although a few acidic one liners raise a chuckle. Cassidy and his wife Mae are relatively interesting but their sniping ends up muddled and hard to follow. The actors work hard with what little they’ve been given but their exaggerated Southern accents become unbearable and can’t help but raise memories of Foghorn Leghorn.

It doesn’t help that everything that happens borders on nonsensical and would never happen in real life. The Republican nominee would never be alone in a grubby motel room on election night without a radio or TV, nor would he be in a room without a security detail having checked every corner for bugs or threats, and a husband-wife pair with soap opera-style scandals in their past would never be able to keep those hidden from the press, even in 1960.

The biggest issue with Super Tuesday, and the one that is unforgiveable, is that it takes something as mesmerising and full to the brim with creative potential and wastes it so completely. Historical anachronisms can be forgiven but a coma-inducing story just can’t.

Run ended http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/theatre/super-tuesday