King Philip's Head is Still on That Pike Just Down the Road NYC Reviews and Tickets

77%

(10 Reviews)

Positive

70%

Mixed

30%

Negative

Members say

Great acting, Resonant, Quirky, Slow, Confusing

About the Show

In Clubbed Thumb's world premiere, the councilmen of Plymouth Colony determine how to be Good in the New World.

Member Reviews (10)

Quirky, Resonant, Slow, Thought-provoking, Great acting

See it if Edgy, funny & slyly relevant King Philip starts out as a political satire (circa 1600's) but evolves into a timely probe of gender politics

Don't see it if Premise can get one-note as drama proceeds & looses some momentum but nifty ensemble led by downtown icons Ikeda & Finn bring it home

Darkly comic, Stellar cast, Fragmented, Historical, Smart

See it if you’d like to see an attempt to make sense of colonial American history by fracturing it & examining the shards.

Don't see it if you like your history or your drama straight. Read more

Resonant, Slow, Indulgent, Disappointing, Confusing

See it if you like experimental formats revisiting history from a modern perspective. A lot of ideas are presented. There are some amusing moments.

Don't see it if You are expecting a traditional theatrical experience with a clear resolution or theme.

Absurdist view of government set in colonial times

See it if A frolic by women actors playing Puritan male elders. Supposed religiosity of politicians exposed in hilarious council sessions over years,

Don't see it if The Clubbed Thumb troupe excels at controlled silliness to make a point. Jennifer Ikeda shines as the zealot leading the buffoons.

Uneven, Energetic performances, Disappointing, Confusing, Ambitious

See it if You embrace non-traditional theatre and seeing talented young actors.

Don't see it if You are impatient with a piece that needs polish and focus. The writing slavery uneven and hard work by the cast can't overcome it.

Great acting, Funny, Delightful

See it if A real pleasure of a show, consistently and absurdly funny throughout. Works to deflate colonial history, masculinity, & the security state.

Don't see it if The machinery driving this show is somewhat one-note, so if it succeeds (which it does), it often feels like it can't go much further.

A silly, surreal, and absorbing allegory for modern politics through a puritan lens

See it if you enjoy satire that doesn't exhaust itself after a few minutes with a one joke premise.

Don't see it if you don't want to work a little for the meaning within the play's madness. Read more

Quirky, Longwinded, Great acting

See it if you like feminist humor; you're curious about the title (they will be sure you know why it's named such); you're open to big acting

Don't see it if you want an even-keeled vibe from beginning to end (starts off very clever and funny, ends strained and drawn out) Read more

Critic Reviews (2)

"Not incidentally, the self-serious men here are all portrayed by women, who manage to maintain lugubriously straight faces while tickling their audiences into stupefied giddiness...While the gender-swapping casting works beautifully here, this is not a play about the subjugation and erasure of women in public life. Or not only that. Broader notions of what constitutes equality are parsed, in deliciously convoluted language...One of this season’s tastier diversions."
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"The sparring between Brown and Good is comedic on the surface, but what simmers under it is fear and heartbreak and bloodthirstiness. With the stakes so high for these characters, but the dialogue so frivolous, it sets up a juxtaposition that underscores every word."
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