20/20 tackles the timeless tale of Orpheus and Eurydice with a modern twist, taking place in 2020 with Orpheus falling in love with a reincarnated version of Eurydice. This baseline for the plot had much potential, as the Greek tale is still ripe with thematic relevance, as seen by the recent smash hit ‘Hadestown’. However, it saddens me to say that this needed a lot more re-drafts and a more focused understanding of the tone before being executed on a stage.
I truly admire the passion and dedication poured into this show, as you can see it reflected on stage through each actor’s performance. The lead actors of Orpheus and Eurydice are very charming, and if given stronger material, they could have shown off their talents in a much more effective way. The material itself bounces from profound conversations to self-aware humour in an instant, leaving you questioning what the tone and goal of this piece is. The few jokes in here are the most memorable part, and if the writer had leaned further into the comedy, then it would have created a much more coherent production.
The biggest misfortune of watching this performance was the fact that my audience didn’t understand the tone and were at times laughing at moments which were meant to be the dramatic crux of the story. Again, if these moments were played for laughs in a production which focused more on the comedy than the drama, then the whole show wouldn’t have felt so confusing for them. I still tip my hat off to the scope of the writing and the grand ideas that are presented, but there just really wasn’t anything proficient in the way it was executed, and it felt far too amateurish for the themes it was trying to tackle.
The show is still highly entertaining, and if you lower your expectations before going in, you may even find something to love about it. It’s a shame that my audience and I didn’t.
20/20, runs until August 23rd at theSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall with tickets available at https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/20-20
Reviewer: Joe Lang
Reviewed: 12th August 2025
North West End UK Rating:
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