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ASHEVILLE — North Carolina Stage Company has a wham-bam sci-fi hit with the crazy outer space comedy-adventure “Fight Girl Battle World,” now at the downtown playhouse.
There is so much to like about this edgy piece, written by Qui Nguyen and directed by N.C. Stage co-founder Charlie Flynn-McIver as part of the theater’s Catalyst series. It’s the sort of out-there production that is sure to draw a young audience to the theater, which is always a good thing.
It packs some stellar performances, especially by the Fight Girl, E-V Rebecca Morris, the last human female in the universe. But Bradshaw Call almost steals the show in a variety of roles including a freaky zookeeper and a space-age TV anchor. Jason Williams also offers some laughs as E-V’s robotic sidekick, LC-4.
Flynn-McIver has added some nice touches including projected movie-like titles to open the piece and some video appearances by cast members. The fight choreography is outstanding and could be straight out “The Matrix.”
“Fight Girl” also borrows heavily from “Stars Wars” and there’s a bit of “Rocky Horror Picture Show” in there, too.
But at the core of the story is the Adam and Eve tale, with the only surviving humans faced with a hook-up to save the species.
When we meet E-V, she’s been reduced to the role of a hired boxer-warrior, putting on exhibition fights for the entertainment of aliens. That’s changed by the renegade Generah Dan’h (Jake Bowden) who was responsible for humanity’s destruction. He offers a solution — mating E-V with the only male survivor, warrior Adon-Ra (Bobby Abrahamson).
But there’s a bigger problem — getting past the evil galactic president Ya-Wi (Travis Kelley) who first appears as evil Muppet like character, and his two henchwomen, Commander G’bril (Alison Young) and Mikah Monoch (Jessica Lewis).
And the possible mating of E-V and Adon is complicated by the General’s pilot J’an Jah (Lauren Kriel). But to say more about that would spoil a surprise.
As E-V, Morris has the spotlight and she comes through in a high-energy performance, constantly scowling and on the prowl. This is an Asheville player to watch. In his variety of parts, master actor Call shows great skill in switching between characters. The Zookeeper is a character difficult to forget.
The little audio touches make this production complete including various sound effects and a rockin’ soundtrack.