This ain't no disco and this ain't no foolin' around as O'Grady quickly weaves an all too possible "reality" that shines a muffled light on these dark times we find ourselves in. And yet, as the characters often point out, there is still hope. It's amazing that we can still find that in the bleakest of times, but we have that here. Wonderful world building, and an understandable escalation of tension as the play progresses. A challenging and rewarding piece in many ways.

It's funny how often we can tell a frightened human "you're safe," and the more the word is said, the less safe everyone feels. The tension in this play is palpable, despite the brave faces everyone is wearing. And though many of us aren't in hiding like these characters, we are hiding nonetheless from the scary signs all around us. Hopefully this story will soon just be a tale of what "could have been." Hopefully there will be an "erstwhile" king to forget.

This is a bleak premonition of a not-too-distant future, but it's filled with so much support and heart that readers will remember the brightness of these relationships over the darkness of the circumstances. The atmosphere does so much work in this play, with every tiny detail (from birthday muffins to homemade Scrabble boards) serving to illustrate the decline of the world outside of the room. Even the sound design does serious work in service of the metaphor. This short play gives me hope!