"With Wren's talent for storytelling and Chilcott's superb direction, 'Replay' proves to be a totally captivating one-hour show...Effectively brings the audience right into W's life and her feelings of love and loss. It is a warm and wonderful piece of theater...Wren's performance...is riveting...You will feel an intimate connection to the moments Wren brings to life as she directly addresses the audience...An affecting show that you will long remember."
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"A brief piece that hangs on an implausible twist and heads for a sentimental, too-easy conclusion. It seems to exist mostly as a calling card for Nicola Wren, who wrote and stars in it -- and if her writing is more professional than inspired, she is a thoroughly expert actress...Wren knows how to the take the stage and keep our attention...Chilcott's direction is sensible, steering the action away from any hint of the maudlin."
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"The strengths of this tender play can be credited both to Wren's writing and to her performance. It is filled with the details that bring the seen and unseen characters to life...Wren gives us a portrayal that is most theatrical by effectively striking a balance between reticence and urgency...This is a lovely, heartfelt, and intimate work, beautifully performed by its creator and gently directed by Chilcott...It is a small package containing a lovely gem."
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"To be sure, there are examples of talented playwrights who have also been able to tread the boards without tripping over their feet, or tongues. Harold Pinter, Noël Coward, Tracy Letts: they all come quickly to mind. Some theater historians have even argued that Shakespeare might have been a pretty good actor, too. But, still, it's exceedingly rare to find a playwright like Nicola Wren, who can bring her words to life with as much passion."
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"An exceptionally poignant, bittersweet, and intense monologue-leavened with occasional humor...A less skilled writer-actor would make the confluence of things that befall W appear contrived...Wren's performance is astounding...She moves with fluid grace...It's riveting...Wren brilliantly juggles comedy and tragedy, and her presence has the emotive power to provoke empathy. This alone makes 'Replay' an important, unusual, and extremely satisfying work."
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"Unlike the prawns its heroine, W, blames for being 'dodgy,' this dramatic morsel is easily digestible…Wren is energetic and engaging, changing her voice just enough to suggest different characters. She also offers some rather demanding physical business…Wren's script is filled with incident, characters, and sidebar comments...However, judging by some of W's behavior…one might wonder if she isn't in need of some serious therapy before she continues in her line of work."
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"Wren is a warm and lively performer, and she is a disarming raconteur for the hour-long show. Theatrics are kept to a minimum, and as directed by George Chilcott, the bare-bones production keenly highlights the importance of community and storytelling...The writing is generally quite strong, and what the play lacks in lyricism and poetry, it makes up for in sincerity and specificity. To both its credit and detriment, though, 'Replay' is not excessively sentimental."
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"Brilliantly-done...She feeds us her story, bit by bit, and addresses us as it goes along, creating an intimate connection between performer and audience...Wren does a wonderful job of bringing all the characters, whether physically present or not, to life on stage. She seamlessly transitions from scene to scene and from the present to the past...The complex set of emotions that she brings to W are real and tangible. Needless to say, this is a memorable production."
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