[usr 4]
In Jon Gracey’s Werewolf, audience members are pitted against each other as they play the characters of werewolves and villagers. A fraction of the group of volunteers are given the role of werewolf, which means that they can choose one villager to be killed each night, under the cover of darkness (well, when we all have our eyes closed). The villagers must work out who the werewolves are and have them killed before it’s too late.
With only the werewolves being aware of who is innocent, this is a game of guesses and rash accusations. And watching people turn against their friends at the flick of a switch is always entertaining, especially when the reactions are spontaneous and unfiltered.
© Kate Rodden
Frontman Gracey is unsurprisingly the highlight of this show, and it’s a pity he doesn’t get more time to ad lib. He’s clearly comfortable on stage and his sarcastic comments and piss-taking is the glue that keeps the show from descending into chaos.
Werewolf is a an inventive concept. The rules are complicated enough, and the set up varied enough, so that the audience doesn’t get bored, and yet the game is sufficiently short to allow for three or so games during the show. A larger audience would undoubtedly make Werewolf more entertaining, as there could be an entirely new set of participants each round. This is why the comedian charity special on August 21st looks particularly promising.