Date: 8 August 2026
Time: 3.05pm
Venue: Ivy Studio, Greenside @ George Street
Running time: 55 minutes
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Reviewed by: Lucy Deehan
Stanislavski Can’t Save Me From the Apocalypse takes us to a theatre camp in the northern woods of Maine and leaves us in the care of five counsellors, braving the shocking end of life as they know it and the sudden burden of over forty tween campers still desperate to put on their summer musical.
The dark comedy written and directed by Maggie Dickinson follows the five counsellors through the first stretch of the apocalypse as they navigate friendship, romance, survival and Sondheim.
Presented in reverse, the play opens to lived-in chaos and regresses to the day it all began, inviting the audience to reconsider relationships, motivations and mysteries as they unfold.
In the intimate George Street venue, the energy of the cast is palpable and each brings a unique presence to stand out against the minimalist set. Lydia Hopgood as Claire, the hopeful ingenue, balances breezy optimism with hopeless despair and lets the audience know how easily she can flip from one to the other. Frankie Minnock, as Mary, grounds the group with her frank survivalist preparation, keeping time for us with punchy interludes that keep us in check as the antsy campers. Christie Griffin’s Dani is hugely charismatic, wonderfully dramatic and a joy to watch when she whirls onto stage. Molly Wolff as Erika brings an enigmatic balance of quiet to the sometimes riotous group and a beautiful voice to the ensemble. Cate Johannessen, who also expertly produced the play, keeps the audience on their toes with incredibly refreshing comedic work, making a larger than life character tangible and earnest in a truly impressive turn as Elizabeth. Each does a wonderful job of engaging with the audience, bringing us into their attempts at keeping the camp curriculum going – fully seizing these moments to show us more of their character and to keep the flow of the piece running at a breakneck pace.
“I want to be like…the lead of the apocalypse.”
Armed with Dickinson’s stellar script and succinct direction, the cast do a marvellous job dancing through lessons on theatre practitioners, lamenting never being able to finish The Vampire Diaries and cosplaying Katniss Everdeen while diving through an absolutely wrought timeline of events in an endlessly entertaining hour of theatre.
Stanislavski Can’t Save Me From the Apocalypse has enjoyed two sold out preview performances in Greenside @ George Street and for good reason! This emerging female-led creative team are presenting an unmissable jaunt to the end of the world, running from 7th August – 22nd August (except Sunday 16th).
Get Your Tickets HERE!!!!: Stanislavski Can’t Save Me From The Apocalypse | Edinburgh Festival Fringe
