Replay NYC Reviews and Tickets
Member Reviews (40)
See it if You like one person shows.
Don't see it if You don't like one person shows.
See it if you like inventive shows that take you into the mind of someone you might pass on the street and ignore.Intriguing look at life and loss.
Don't see it if you want a piece of fluff.This is very entertaining & a lot of fun. But it has something very important to say about personal vulnerability
See it if You want to see one of the very best one actor shows on a stage here now. The actress/playwright is equally talented in both areas.
Don't see it if Only reason not to see this is if U really cannot enjoy a play that features a single performer ! If that describes you think about limits !
See it if Like a tender & fierce play re family, love, memory, grief. A moving show performed fearlessly w a lovely connection to the audience.
Don't see it if Don't like solo shows in tiny spaces, or care to explore young woman's memory/devotion to her late brother. Plot involves talk of suicide. Read more
See it if you enjoy being immersed in a well told story that illustrates its theme by creating a real character.
Don't see it if you prefer more elaborate productions to a small scale one woman play.
See it if you like an accessible story and a solid performance from one actor.
Don't see it if you dislike undecorated solo shows or want a quirkier, less “everyman” type of character. Wren plays the same character throughout. Read more
See it if you're interested in a show about coping with grief and the power of memory years later. Well-written and acted. A short, but resonant story
Don't see it if you don't like intimate solo shows which rely on the acting performance. You need to use your imagination, but actress takes you on journey.
See it if you enjoy stories that absorb you into an emotional journey with just words, great acting and minimalist staging w/o theatrical artifacts.
Don't see it if you do not like one-actor shows or intimate settings for a play; or if you prefer great staging and wardrobe.
Critic Reviews (17)
"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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