In ten episodes of a Survivor-like contest, Greg Lam’s “Treachery Island” elicits plenty of laughs, as a group of predictable types—the scheming contestant, cynical showrunner, and dumb jock—manage the multiple crises of an unexplained global catastrophe. Reimaging the reality genre as a workplace drama, Lam gives us three-dimensional characters off-script and off-camera, whose actual survival we care about. With multiple plot twists in every episode, the play delivers a fast-paced, brilliant satire of both reality television and the tropes of apocalyptic literature. Ideal for multiple formats: radio, stage, or screen as a limited television series. Highly recommended.

Like my fellow commenters, I saw episodes 1-3 at a theatre conference and was sucked in. And this is from someone who genuinely hates reality TV and everything it was engendered (a topic that the play certainly addresses.) It's funny, clever, and really leans into the episodic format, keeping the twists and turns coming, ratcheting up the tension, and regularly topping itself. Glad I got a chance to read the whole thing!

An episodic serial play for fans of reality TV and science fiction. Treachery Island follows contestants at the end of a Surviror-esque game show who find themselves in a dystopian nightmare. Twists and turns in the play keep the audience guessing. A fun and engaging ride for anyone who's ever wondered if they could outwit, outlast, and outplay their fellow human beings.