Peter ‘n’ Chris present: Here Lies Chris

PKF Productions—PTE – Mainstage

In this show Peter “accidentally” shoots his friend Chris and then decides to travel throughout the multiverse to find another Chris to replace him. In this process, we meet several different Chrises, most of whom are unacceptable to Peter for one reason or another. Some of these universes are visited with a single line of spoken dialogue and others make up large chunks of the show.

One universe provided probably the funniest prolonged scene I have ever seen in a Fringe show. Here Peter meets a self-proclaimed “cool” Chris, who wears a baseball cap backwards, won’t stop playing with his phone, and is extremely argumentative. Like an extended aside from the main show, Peter and this Chris move throughout the audience, bickering with each other, spitting out, “Can I talk to you over here?!” repeatedly, and getting other people involved in their verbal sparring. It felt like a real argument that was interrupting the main show, and it was hilarious to watch.

In a further universe, Peter meets another Chris, who tries to be funny but fails badly, making lame jokes, and so is deemed absolutely intolerable by him. Peter knows he must continue his quest. Finally he meets a suitable replacement Chris, but must deal with another Peter from that universe. This leads to another very entertaining part, as Peter plays both Peters at first, but Chris, feeling left out, argues that he should play one of the Peters. Finally we learn the real reason for the animosity between Peter and Chris that is manifested right across the multiverse. Not only is it emotionally charged moment, it feels like it might actually be based in reality for the performers – as opposed to the characters of – Peter and Chris.

Konrad Antony