Ryan Kitley as Frank and Mary Cross as Gina. Photo by Anthony Robert La Penna.

Review: TWISTED KNOTS at the Royal George Theatre

By Naima Dawson

Unlike today, the working men of the 60s were not allowed to display vulnerability in their careers or marriage. This play revisits the era of yesterday in a modern setting where men believe they must always excel without fail in every aspect of life, especially career and family. Frank Mormon, a salesman on the brink of a midlife crisis, allows his neurotic superstitions to render him incapable of having the sexiest of New Year’s Eve celebrations with his prostitute for hire, who we quickly discover is his role playing wife. Dale Danner’s TWISTED KNOTS is a simple yet hilarious story, akin to an episodic sitcom, like the good ones I use to watch with my grandfather. The ones that always left the audience with metaphoric lessons of life.

I took my mother to the play, and she laughed from start to finish, I mean belted genuine tears of laughter, right in the front row. I couldn’t blame her, because Mary Cross—who plays Frank’s wife and special ordered prostitute—is beyond funny. Cross delivers line after line with such animated comedic force, one is obliged to submit to uncontrollable guffaws. She has an incredible wit and the ability to project such a wide range of emotions. She brings a welcomed balance of diversity to both characters, as we watch her transpose from prostitute to frustrated, yet endearing, wife. Though limited by the insufficient development of his character, Ryan Kitley still provides us with great moments as Frank, a man whose life is in pure turmoil because he is limited by his fear of rejection and failure. Kitley delivers a man plagued by his off-centered superstitions, riddled with impracticality. Both actors do an admirable job with Dale Danner’s script.

TWISTED KNOTS is not a freak-a-zoid’s paradise of whips and sex toys. Sometimes titles have greater meanings resting in between the wordplay; so curb your naughty desires and prepare to have a good honest laugh about life and how true love is like a family of twisted knots, it is infinite and unbreakable.

If nothing else you will take away two things after seeing TWISTED KNOTS, M.U.F. and C.R.E.A.M., thank me later!

It is a fast pace play that runs 1 hour 45 minutes, including intermission.

[add_single_eventon id=”1674″ ev_uxval=”3″ ]