Winners and Losers

Neworld Theatre's Winners and Losers is kind of like improv with a brain. Not to say that improv doesn't take brains, but this is more like watching an intellectual debate that revolves around local and timely topics that get plucked from the air or from the audience. Marcus and James go round and round in a contest of thoughts, battling out their opinions on matters ranging from Beyonce, the No Tower movement in East Van, First Nations, masturbation, microwaves, prosperity funds and more.

The first half of the show could easily become a weekly television or radio program. It was fascinating to hear their thoughts and arguments. (CBC, are you listening?) The latter half of the show derails from the political right into the personal, and what we see transpiring on stage suddenly becomes extremely awkward and uncomfortable. Are the two men going to actually fight it out physically? Are we witnessing the end of a friendship right before our eyes?

The performances are raw and the lines between reality and stage are completely blurred. The show however, is definitely a Winner.

Winners and Losers is on now at the Cultch until February 27th.