One iota less alliteration wouldn’t do justice to the comedic blunderbuss “The End Is Nigh,” a Liars and Believers production closing out its run Sunday at The Foundry in Kendall Square.
The plot packages pithy parables about four horsemen of our contemporary apocalypse – disease, famine, war and a mystery malevolent force – inside the screwball framework of a dystopian game show designed to torture its kindhearted, if witless, contestants.
The fourth wall is broken, battered and beaten to bits as the actors appeal directly to the audience’s moral instincts, or lack thereof, soliciting us to cheer or condemn the action in front of our eyes with oversized, illuminated “Applause” and “Booo!” signs.
Will the audience give into its sadistic impulse, coached by the villainous host, to root for the torment of the innocent, or is there a minor revolution in the works as the contestants, by virtue of pure hearts or sheer luck, outwit, outlast and outdunce all attempts at their destruction?
A light grounding in the 17th century political philosophy of Thomas Hobbes might help your appreciation of “The End Is Nigh.” Even better, a love of physical comedy and slapstick à la Three Stooges. Whenever the intellectual and moral questions posed by the plot become too thorny, the ensemble stabs someone, punches someone or simply runs around in circles to explode the tension.
An uplifting conclusion awaits in the final act. Whether or not the optimism is earned, it’s certainly desired, as the wicked among us get their just deserts. If the audience can get behind the moral to this story, maybe we can stave off the apocalypse a little longer?
To find out about future productions, children and adult workshops and how to bring your own talents to the stage, visit the Liars and Believers website.
“The End is Nigh” plays March 12-21 at The Foundry, 101 Rogers St., East Cambridge. All tickets are pay-what-you-can general seating from $5 to $100.
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