The pace is fast, punctuated by the screams of madmen and so many gunshots that the theatre fills with acrid smoke. Each assassin dominates the stage with a distinct personality whose psychotic tendencies are portrayed by a wonderfully expressive cast. Poignancy and hilarity go hand in hand as the murderers’ case histories are revealed and it becomes clear that there are an astonishing number of good reasons for killing a president. The storyline and most of the characters in Assassins are refreshingly brash. Pippa Duffy and Clare Gray make a splendid pair capable of arguing loudly about the merits of sleeping with the son of God before moving calmly on to murder. Their assassination attempt is one of the high points of the show. Occasionally the lyrics are obscured by the loud band, but as the standard of music is very high, they are forgiven. So as the assassins conclude, attention must be paid.

THREE WEEKS, AUGUST, 2002

Truly Fantastic. Capital T, capital F. Even Roosevelt himself would have enjoyed the darkly comic spin on the most famous assassins in American history. Overwhelmingly impressive, Eyebrow Productions has hit the bulls-eye on every aspect of the dramatisation of the play and the vocalisation of the score. The implications of the American dream were wonderfully evoked and the nature of each character beautifully observed through the flawless union of singing and acting ability. With such gusto of deliverance, the music never waned in pace and was undoubtedly brought to the fore by the use of a live band. The excellent use of a thrust stage made sure I was kept in the thick of it, and how I longed to stand by their sides at the Fineletto. Such passion, such humour, such realisation of ideas. Such talent. To think these aspiring young actors are mere student mortals is simply awe inspiring.

THE SONDHEIM REVIEW, SUSAN WEIR, WINTER 2003

Then to Assassins, in a venue true to the original Fringe spirit: a church hall, crumpled blackout curtains, hard chairs and a front-of-the-house person with attitude. Bristol University’s Eyebrow Productions under Esther Biddle’s direction displayed disciplined chorus work and superb individual performances. But this taut production deserved a better venue. Fringe nostalgia has its place, but the cramped performance space confined the movements of the cast, but not, to their credit, their voices. These voices, brimming with conviction, unleashed Assassins’ dramatic power but never obscured its fine thread of compassion. Among an outstanding cast, Duncan Eyre as Zangara left an acute impression. His interpretation of the tortured assassin was certainly one of pain, but of physical and mental pain borne through stoicism. Duncan’s restrained hatred was an intriguing foil to the self-serving bystanders in “How I Saved Roosevelt”. Fearless and faultless performances certainly won Eyebrow Productions and Stephen Sondheim many new fans. The productions featured not only live musicians but also live musicians in view. Assassins’ instrumentalists formed an intimate little group on the right of the performance space, playing with crisp confidence.