The Video Game Theatre Players have long been renowned for their adaptations of the most poignant and emotional game sequences that were already set to human voices.
Now, they take a bold stab in a new direction: a medley of scenes from Pokémon games, none of which are voiced.
These ancient scripts were thought to be impossible to perform. As it turns out, the words were only waiting for a worthy vessel. Here we see Brian David Gilbert, returning to the stage with a bold interpretation of the young man Joey, whose love for his special Rattata threatens to destroy him.
Stage veteran Simone de Rochefort (no relation to myself) embodies a passionate Pokémon fan club President, and we see in her performance a dark reflection of Joey — and what might be his Pokémon-obsessed future.
We cannot complete this review without mentioning the wordless, stellar performance of Allegra Frank, who uses every single muscle in her face to convey annoyance, impatience and fear — the full spectrum of human emotion.
Viewers will be riveted until the very end, when a surprise guest star makes his appearance.
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