Life According to Saki

See it if Delightful show. Touching and creative. Fable-like. Creative staging and really talented cast. Great whimsical entertainment.

Don't see it if small production. Not lavish. You don't care for separate stories framed by an overall theme. You prefer high drama.

See it if You like historical stories told through a creative lens. The actors do a great job at playing various characters throughout the play.

Don't see it if You dislike smaller productions or actors playing multiple roles.

See it if Staged version of several of Saki's short stories. Sad because his lively imagination was snuffed out by the war.

Don't see it if I didn't find the stories compelling. They're cute. The small theater was hot and stuffy. I became sleepy.

See it if You like your plays with equal measures of humor, satire & inspiration. You like clever interpretations of classic writing.

Don't see it if You don't like social satire. You prefer more traditional interpretations of classic writing. You dislike puppetry & video projection.

See it if you're tired of dysfunctional families and the f-bomb in plays; this is charming story telling with some puppetry wrapped in a clever settin

Don't see it if you enjoy high drama; angst filled situations; over blown sets. This show has none of that - just wit and charm.

See it if You want to have a little fun! You enjoy ensemble casts playing multiple parts. This was funny and smart and a pleasant way to spend a night

Don't see it if You really wanted a look at Saki's life. This is more a story of HIS stories. You don't like vignette stories and want to see more of Saki.

See it if short stories translated to the stage, well scrubbed young talent, Edinborough Fringe transfers, SAKI, or puppetry are your thing

Don't see it if WWI memorabilia, British authors, trench warfare, WARHORSE, are not your thing

See it if you want to smile at a joyous production in which a talented cast wins you over with charm and British wit

Don't see it if you don't like small plays in intimate venues and are looking for more of a spectacle

See it if you like good acting, clever staging but do not require any depth to the piece.

Don't see it if You want a true feel for the pungency HH Munro.

Also I enjoyed it but it was quite fluffy, I took my time writing a review bc I wanted to really like it. I just cant get there. The pure sophistication of Munro is only hinted at, but there are many worse ways to spend 90 minutes or so watching accomplished performers doing quick bits.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to delve into Life According to Saki. You want to see a well acted play by a great group of performers. You want to laugh.

Don't see it if You don't want to hear great stories. You don't like plays that have really interesting puppetry. You don't want to see a great performance.

See it if You appreciate final ensemble acting. Can suspend disbelief and embrace fun fictional tales retold.

Don't see it if You need linearity. Need a comfy seat in a comfy theatre -- neither available here.

Also The theatre is not accessible (many stairs required) and the audience stands in a small lobby until the house opens right before curtain -- claustrophobic and unsettling.... Read more Read less

See it if You'd like an evening of quick-paced purely theatrical storytelling that attempts the difficult double duty of quirky Saki stories plus bio.

Don't see it if Dry British wit of a certain era's not your thing, or you need an absolutely linear plot or you're not open to the imagination of your youth

Also Yet one more terrific production to come out of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, this production is quick-witted & intelligent; its creative, inventive staging filled with unexpected visual & aural delights, brilliantly & smoothly executed by a terrific cast.

It attempts & mostly succeeds as an introduction to Saki & his works, though purists will rightly note that the voice & edge, the hinted danger isn't quite right. A slight pause before the lights dim at the start might have helped the audience settle into that world & language, at least at the Feb 13th performance.

Still, a small complaint. Each member of this great ensemble cast is individually memorable in their many characters, bits & changes, creating a quite distinct other world with ease & a minimum of props & lights.

Paisley is winning & personable as Saki, ultimately quite inspiring in his fine exhortation for each of us to "release your inner ferret, squelch your inner Auntie, live life gloriously to the fullest." Amen.... Read more Read less

See it if SAKI

Don't see it if You don't have any interest in quirky

See it if you like the writer Saki/Hector Hugo Munro, you like puppetry, & charming short shows.

Don't see it if you don't like British humor

See it if you're a fan of Saki, "story theater," and WWI. This is evocative, inventive work, economically presented.

Don't see it if you want traditional plays with one story and three-dimensional characters. It's a Fringe-style show, done exquisitely well.

See it if you want to see 6 of this British writers short stories played out in about 70 minutes. They were neither poignant nor funny. disappointing.

Don't see it if you are looking for good storytelling with a purpose. Very disjointed. The actors did a good job though.

See it if you read Saki stories in High School and wondered why you liked them so much or you wanted to see the top pick at the Edinburgh Fringe Fest.

Don't see it if small gem shows in small theaters in interesting neighborhoods are not your thing and you don't like Odd Fellows Ice Cream.

See it if like watching a very talented group of young actors doing interchangeable parts and puppetry w/o missing a beat

Don't see it if not interested in the life of a upper-class clever, gay man who wrote stories and was shot and died in WWI

Also Actors act out 6 of Saki's stories while interweaving stories of his own life. His stories have been compared to Oscar Wilde but my favorites were the two that had a creepy EA Poe vibe.... Read more Read less

See it if You like comedy and WWI themes, you like English accent, and humorous while sober attitudes towards life.

Don't see it if You want a coherent story. This play is literally a collection of stories in the same social background that are not related to each other.

See it if You want to be transported into the charming world of Saki's witty short stories

Don't see it if You might be confused by a show that constantly jumps from real facts ( World War I ) to smart and mischievous short stories and back.

See it if You enjoy humor mixed with the pathos of impending doom partnered with great acting and imaginative staging

Don't see it if You prefer traditional staging or prefer your comedy to be without any seriousness or doom

See it if You want to see Hector Hugh Munro's short stories visualize in vignette form within the frame of WWI trenches cleverly narrated & staged.

Don't see it if No interest in literature by Saki & WWI setting. Dislike unlinked stories within a story that is heavy in Children's Theater format.

Also This is a refreshing British imported play cleverly scripted & directed about writer Saki who really signed up for WWI battlefield (but being imagined) telling his comrades of his penned stories to entertain them in the midst of an ugly beyond control violent setting.

The play ambitiously squeezed 8 of Saki's short stories into the framework that are not necessarily connected but are all interesting & whimsical in different genres ranging from funny/farcical, satirical, dark macabre, to sad & philosophical.

Many of Saki's stories are metaphorical whether conceptual, root, nonlinguistic, or visual in mode because of his desire to mediate the realities of the oppressive superficial Edwardian era with his literary wit, humor, sarcasm, & zest for life.

The staging is smart with limited props & using puppetry gave dimension. Pacing & changing vignettes are seamless. Lead/narrator David Paiseley is engaging & charming but the entire energetic cast worked as 1 pro team with great chemistry... Read more Read less

See it if you appreciate short stories, inventive staging, and talented performers.

Don't see it if you're looking for something truly moving and profound. While there are some genuinely funny moments, not every choice is effective.

Also If you're a big fan of Saki's stories, this may not be the show for you. I haven't read Saki, myself, but I attended with someone who has, and, like other reviewers, he felt the show didn't really capture the acerbic tone of Saki's writing.

The narrative that framed the stories -- Saki in the trenches, discussing mortality -- wasn't entirely effective, and didn't pack as much of an emotional punch as the creators likely intended. Additionally, the transitions into the stories were sometimes a little awkward.

The inventive dramatizations of Saki's stories were, for me, the most enjoyable part of the show (and luckily comprised a large part of it), and they served as a strong showcase for the actors' versatility. However, at some points, the shtick added to the stories was overwhelming. Overall, the show was quite enjoyable to watch, and worth seeing, but it didn't blow me away.... Read more Read less

See it if You enjoy Saki's stories.

Don't see it if You need elaborate sets and costumes.

See it if you enjoy unique stories enacted by a talented cast in an intimate setting.

Don't see it if you cannot appreciate an odd sense of humor or a macabre story such as "Esme".

Also This play was my first exposure to Hector Hugh Munro's unusual stories. It piqued my interest to read his work.... Read more Read less