Underground NYC Reviews and Tickets
About the Show
Shrapnel Theatre & Hartshorn-Hook Foundation present the NYC premiere of this dramedy about the end of a bad date that turns out to be the start of a very odd evening. Part of 59E59's annual Brits Off Broadway festival.
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See it if Pure, unvarnished one on one communication. Connecting and relating, theater's bare bones essence. Actors' excellence make time fly.
Don't see it if Fringe production values, but reflected in ticket price. Short length may not justify visit. Read more
See it if you are interested in well written, well acted, small scale productions imported from the UK. Very funny, but also timely.
Don't see it if You are looking for a bigger, more complicated production.
See it if you like an honest portrayal of the challenging, skeptical but still hopeful striving by Gen Y for intimacy and meaning in digital dating.
Don't see it if you dislike small cast, minimal set, short, talky drama about a straight, romantic relationship between attractive, non-Hispanic Caucasians.
See it if you like top tier acting in a fun little show.59E59 always does a great job with the Brits Off Bway. This is a gem of a show.
Don't see it if you are looking for something profound or eye-popping. This is a small intimate show about real people. Well worth seeing.
See it if Superb acting in an ultra-intimate setting. Captures the intricacies of a first date in this anxious age. Plus British accents. Fine script.
Don't see it if your cynicism undermines your ability to embrace a romance about two unlikely souls connecting through an app and their ups and downs.
See it if you like cute scenes and endearingly, realistically awkward characters meandering through a quiet, intimate, slice-of-life show.
Don't see it if you prefer taut pacing, higher stakes, and neatly wrapped-up plots without loose ends or any suspension of disbelief.
See it if you like unambitious productions that are fun and entertaining, with great actors and a smart but not very well orchestrated staging.
Don't see it if you expect an intellectual play with twists, politically charged, or deep meanings. Although, the play is not shallow at all.
See it if you'd enjoy a charming play about on-line dating and the insecurities of today's youth; their interactions with the older generation.
Don't see it if you have no idea about today's online dating apps, tweeting, etc. You won't get much out of this play if you can't keep up. Seniors be aware
Critic Reviews (13)
"This is a humorous, engaging show with very broad appeal. It brings the phenomenon of online dating to the stage...The three-person cast does a great job of bringing this clever story to life in the theater's intimate space. Their portrayals of the characters are spot-on...'Underground' is an appealing, thoughtful depiction of Internet dating. It is a play that metro-area audiences will surely enjoy."
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"All in all, it is the charming and credible performances of Mr. Jinks and Ms. Sanders, under Kate Tiernan's direction, that make the evening such an enjoyable one. Even without the offbeat events in the stalled tube, the time we've spent with them has been a smile-inducing act of eavesdropping on a pair of amiable, slightly off-kilter characters. We can only wish them well as we exit, taking heed to mind the gap!"
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“Two likeable people, James (Michael Jinks) and Claire (Bebe Sanders) meet online, have dinner in a local pub owned by Steve (Andrew McDonald) and take the Underground home. That's about it. Of course, that's only the basic, very basic, outline. What makes ‘Underground’ a quiet delight is the way van Tricht takes this trite situation and beefs it up with insightful conversation, intriguing situations that border on the fantastic and a clear empathy with her characters.”
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"Van Tricht has some compelling ideas here, but the themes and message are too underdeveloped for the audience to truly feel her vision. This play feels a bit like a first act of a two-act play, or like a play missing a final scene...Despite the play’s brevity, the three-person cast makes the most of the comedic and emotionally charged moments. The set also makes the most of the smallest of 59E59’s spaces."
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"A well-crafted play about loneliness and the evolution (or dissolution) of relationships...Both Michael Jinks playing James and Bebe Sanders as Claire are engaging and so real that it seems as if you have known them for years. Isla van Trich’s dialogue compellingly reinforces the reality and subtlety of the production...With their stellar, relaxed, totally believable performances, Michael Jinks, Bebe Sanders and Andrew McDonald all convince us what is possible."
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"It is a little hard to care about our would-be lovebirds...They smoke, they drink, they flirt awkwardly and the relationship goes nowhere fast, literally, as most of the inaction takes place on a stalled subway train...That said, both Mr. Jinks and Ms. Sanders give solid, believable performances. There is a definite chemistry between them, they are just denied the chance to combust."
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"Comedy careens off drama and realism ricochets off magical realism to spin an interesting and engaging tale...Van Tricht’s characters are believable and well-developed with characteristics and conflicts that contribute to the play’s non-linear plot...Tiernan’s direction moves the action forward perfectly and her attention to detail is remarkable. Despite the theatrical conceits and themes being somewhat commonplace, the actors bring a freshness to the discussion worth experiencing."
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“Some dating practitioners are likely to swipe left for this modest little play…Smartly acted and directed, it captures the world of lonely young urbanites dependent on their phones for the kind of romantic relationships that no longer seem to happen spontaneously. But the familiarity of it all, with its millennials speaking inarticulately articulate small talk, albeit with a few decent laughs and the condiment of magic realism to spice it up a bit, may lead to others swiping right.”
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