I got seriously choked up at the end of this play! As someone who was raised on 90s sitcoms, it's very clear how The Locke Inn became a place of refuge in Matt's brain. The sitcom style writing is spot on, but the harsh moments of reality are so emotional. What a wonderful story that will really be fun to watch unravel on stage!

[2025-07-08]
It's hard to call any play about brain injury "fun," but I don't know what else to call this entertaining, highly theatrical play about a man lying in a hospital bed whose mind takes him into the world of a '90s sitcom. The worlds that Brent Alles has created here pull the audience in to Matt's dual realities. Too many works use the "it's all in the main character's head" as the twist; Alles uses it as a launch pad to a funny and heartfelt story.

"The Locke Inn" is a fast-moving, thoughtfully structured metatheatrical marvel that evokes the uncanny world of 'The Truman Show' or 'Groundhog's Day' but with a wholly original twist. The atmosphere is simultaneously nostalgic and disorienting, which makes it easy to identify with the protagonist's point of view. The plasticity of the world allows for plenty of time-bending moments of theatrical magic, ensuring the story moves swiftly toward its heartwarming and wholesome conclusion. It may be a roller coaster ride, but the ending was incredibly satisfying and left me grinning. No laugh track necessary - audiences will love this one!