As a (slightly ashamed) former Twitter (now X) debate bro, Discord user, and reformed Tumblr fanatic, I am fascinated by how we have welcomed the Internet (in all its eye-melting, brain-rotting glory) with open arms. The Internet is a juicy thematic fruit just ripe for the picking, and I, a budding Luddite and long-time Edinburgh Fringe fan, was excited to see what the newest CUMTS offering had in store for us. Set to a funk-jazz score, the musical follows a quirked-up Aunt June, played by Jessi Rogers, who takes the technologically inept family member character to the absolute limit.
After struggling to connect with moody discord-using niece Andy (Ava Fitzhugh), she accidentally finds herself on the dark web and unwittingly participates in an online drug ring. “The internet is a juicy thematic fruit just ripe for the picking” It’s a tough challenge to condense material into a tight 50-minute Fringe slot. In an interview with Varsity, writer Ariella Gordon talks about having to “kill her darlings”.
Unfortunately, I suspect the wrong darlings have been killed. The show is a comedy musical, and functions effectively as one, albeit in a rather millennial, wink wink nudge nudge, fourth-wall-breaking in-place-of jokes kind of way. It’s fun and ridiculous and full of puns, but the wackiness feels unearned when there’s little substance to fall back upon.
The musical, which is ostensibly about how the internet has affected our lives and relationships, doesn’t seem to .