2026 Audience Reviews

Company: Melancholics Anonymous
Show: Watership Down
Venue: Rarig Stoll Thrust Theatre

REAL REAL GOOD

I decided to write a review after the fourth time seeing it. It is brilliant. The music is stunning, and every actor and musician works their tails off! It is exhausting to run, sing, dance, and spit rapid-fire lines, yet the entire production seemed to flow so effortlessly. The trust and love they have for each other shows on stage. The great: - The density of the novel from which they wrote the show is a massive undertaking to pack into 50 minutes. However, the way they traded narrative roles not only kept up the pace, but trained the audience to follow along. It was a very clever way of holding attention and keeping the audience present. I have read other reviews that it was too fast paced, but I think it mirrored the state of the rabbits: always attentive, keen listening ears, ever watchful of their surroundings. I think the show deserves a longer run-time, but I don't want the pacing to change. The greater : -The physicality deserves to be studied. The first time I saw the rabbits on the raft in the river was transcendent. It was like watching a ballet how they moved together. I could feel the current of the river even though they were on two cubes clutching a length of blue chiffon. Beyond the river, the care they gave to every bolt and run was so engaging. Though they bolted many times, each was different enough to remain fresh and exciting. The animal essence be it bunny or bird was rendered almost sympathetically. Anthropomorphizing on the stage can feel very forced and corny, but not theirs; it was soft and full of heart. The greatest: -The music needs a tony. The talent of Bee Davis is moving. The music was just as much a character in the show as any other. It is like salt: it brings out the flavor of every part of the show. It punctuates the text. It is the muscle of the movement. It holds the audience accountable to their emotions. The musicians in the pit were incredible too. Though the bird crawling from the pit was entertaining, the musicians deserved to be more visible. Because the music felt like such a conversation with the actors, I would have loved to seen them play. I feel like I am failing to mention other amazing attributes, but in total, it was a triumph. Every moving part of this epic was well-oiled, and everyone involved should feel very proud.