WOODCOURT: SPOILS Woodcourt Art Theatre The Coffee Pot Until 23 Feb 2014 Review by Brian Godfrey This reviewer must admit to, at first, hating this show: it seemed pretentious. But once I threw away the shackles of my traditional theatre background and accepted that there is a new voice growing from a newer generation of performers, the show became strangely alluring to me, and I found myself applauding as loudly as everyone else at its conclusion. It is not easy to describe this piece as conceived and directed by Carly Young and co-written with the four performers, Jackson Davis, Alexandra Francis, Ryan McGoldrick and Claire Stjepanovic. It seems to all revolve around a bathtub full of water as seen through a window of some description: the actors dress, undress, get in and out of the bath, and discuss heavy topics such as whether super hero figurines are toys or dolls for tax purposes and a person’s democratic right to have a ‘weak’ password if they so desire. At times it’s like watching someone hold their breath underwater – oh wait a minute, they do! Kudos must be given to the lighting tech who must sprawl on the floor to operate the show – they didn’t miss a beat. “Spoils” is strange, bold, daring and just the type of new work the Fringe needs. Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)