Randy Writes a Novel NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (142)
See it if you're able to catch Randy at a venue near you. (I'm writing this after having seen the penultimate NY performance.)
Don't see it if you're freaked out by puppets. Randy is irrepressible. Read more
See it if This was a solo puppet show. It got the audience involved and some of the show was based on the audience that day. It was hilarious.
Don't see it if This was not a show for kids. It was strictly for adults. Read more
See it if You want a hearty laugh from a purple puppet who includes well written dialogue along with some witty improv.
Don't see it if You don't enjoy a comedy show or improv.
See it if You want to be entertained
Don't see it if You need to see live actors to make your day
See it if you want a unique experience with a clever writer and performer. The improv with the audience was impressive. An enjoyable, fun evening!
Don't see it if you don't like puppets or solo shows.
See it if you're in the mood for stand-up comedy with a twist.
Don't see it if you would rather not be "talked" to for an hour-and-a-half by a big, purple, bug-eyed puppet. Read more
See it if You like very funny, edgy entertainment. Each show likely different to some degree with Randy’s interactions with the audence. Very witty.
Don't see it if You aren’t into puppets or offended by some off color humor.
See it if you enjoy a laugh a minute one puppet show with some audience participation and storytelling with a bit of a message.
Don't see it if you don't like puppets. Which of course would make you a racist...Puppets are people too! Read more
Critic Reviews (22)
"Randy is facilitated by puppeteer Heath McIvor (though the latter is never visible onstage). That bolsters the illusion of Randy's autonomy as he banters with the audience and rants...It's easy to see why the show has been a hit on the Fringe circuit, but this sit-down comedy routine doesn't quite satisfy as theater...The show's dark-humor material is as well-worn as parts of Randy's felt. It inspires consistent smiles, but for bigger laughs the writing would have to seem more novel."
Read more
"A very entertaining way to spend time with a bald purple puppet who has seen the world, muses on all manner of subjects, and has a good grasp of profanity...The set, along with the pleasantly edgy rock music, confronts us when we enter. Randy does tell us that this is not a show that you have to detach from reality to enjoy. He's right. When I saw it, it was mainly visitors to America who ended up engaging with Randy. Don't be afraid. Go see the show and talk to the guy."
Read more
"While ostensibly a comedy show, it turns out 'Randy Writes A Novel' is actually about the existential dilemma of figuring out what your legacy will be after you die...The creator of Randy does a great job of blurring the line between man and puppet. The audience never sees the puppeteer, presumably also called Randy, even while the puppet Randy's movements are so specific and human-like...A wonderful blend of performance art, comedy, and weird."
Read more
“Randy…remarks self-deprecatingly about our having come to see a comedy show but getting a TED talk instead. Which might not be so bad if that TED talk were more enlightening than this play is funny. There are laughs…some of them loud, but not as many as the show's context would seem to demand…While Randy captures and holds your attention…, you always feel he's on the brink of saying something hilarious only for the feeling to dissipate into a smile…as his narrative shifts…direction.”
Read more
"Presentations apparently differ depending on the monologist’s mood and the tenor of an audience. (This is an often uncomfortable crap shoot and frankly unnecessary.) You’re addressed/carefully harangued, encouraged to call out, even to shoot photos...While some of the show is corny vaudevillian, some is insightful, clever, and well acted storytelling...You just have to get through the hackneyed parts and unwilling audience members to enjoy it."
Read more
"No ordinary off-Broadway show...Wild night of entertainment...Randy knows how to whip the theater attendees into a laugh-inducing frenzy...A talented raconteur, Randy waxes poetic on everything...Randy is so irresistible...Guarantees more fun than a troop of monkeys and more guffaws than a flock of woodpeckers. You'll laugh, you'll gasp, you'll cheer, you'll learn what a 'rock melon' is, and you'll leave the theater much smarter than when you came!"
Read more
"Raunchy, rowdy, rambunctious, and revealing...Feltface is one of the top comedians in Austrailia, and he is also a puppet. His bug eyes, purple, svelte skin, and chick-pea head lead to a gully of laughs, but also quiet prods of thought...This show's charm relies on its audience participation...A hilarious, subtle confrontation on the image you have yourself...Funny and poignant in showing how a broken 'man'/ puppet discovers that fame is public but happiness is private."
Read more
"This is cheek sore, solar plexus spasm funny...Manages to deliver remarkable insight disguised in clever one-liners and self deprecating musings. He deconstructs topics...with expert dexterity and craftsmanship. Even though I bellowed like a foghorn and howled like a hyena throughout, these deeper philosophical contemplations stayed with me long after the aftershocks of shrieking had subsided...It can induce the ugly laugh or unhinged snorting. I loved every single second of it."
Read more