Inis Nua and Tiny Dynamite present Ian Kershaw’s The Greatest Play in the History of the World…

Playwright Ian Kershaw anticipates glib responses to his work. Perhaps that’s smart when you title something you’ve written The Greatest Play in the History of the World…

This auspiciously titled one-person show, a co-production of Inis Nua Theatre Company and Tiny Dynamite, mashes up two well-trod genres: science fiction and romantic comedy. And its Narrator (Brett Ashley Robinson) has the number of any critic who might be tempted to get cute in their review. The sharpest tongue, she tells us, could sum The Greatest Play up in two words: “It’s not.”

Maybe that’s right. But it’s hard to imagine a more delightful diversion this holiday season, especially in a production directed with care by Kathryn MacMillan, who serves as artistic director of both sponsoring companies.

Charm, warmth, and sci-fi

Robinson’s Narrator functions omnisciently outside the action that Kershaw details. She recounts to the audience a supernatural event which facilitates the most human of interactions: the meet-cute. When time suddenly stops at 4:40am on a bitterly cold winter night, two neighbors, Tom and Sara, find themselves drawn by a cosmic pull. On the same quiet street in England, their long-married neighbors—also named Tom and Sara—face their final moments together after a long marriage. In true sci-fi fashion, we come to learn that otherworldly forces are at play behind the scenes.

Although direct-address plays have somewhat worn out their welcome in recent seasons, The Greatest Play in the History of the World… gets far on its innate charm, buoyed by Robinson’s warm guiding presence at its center. Adopting a singsong British accent, she tenderly recounts the relatable, awkward moments that bring the younger Tom and Sara together, finding humor in past romantic follies and pathos in the search for love. She also shows, in portraying the older couple, how a relationship can endure and strengthen through hardships.

Whimsy and glitter

In serving Kershaw’s script, MacMillan creates a fair amount of whimsy. An ongoing gag features characters represented through pairs of shoes—some of which are a featured part of Shannon Zura’s scenic design, while others come directly off the feet of audience members. A word to the wise: avoid the front row if you’re unwilling to momentarily cede your Sketchers, or at least wear slip-ons.

Zura’s glittery lighting design adds an extraterrestrial layer to the proceedings, as voiceover narrations (also performed by Robinson) weave in tales of the Voyager Golden Record, a phonograph brought to space in the 1970s to introduce potential other lifeforms to human civilization. The meaning of these diversions reveals itself in playful ways as the story progresses.

A successful fusion

The Greatest Play in the History of the World… fuses two of the signature projects of its producing arms: Inis Nua’s successful series Pop-Up Play in a Pub and A Play, a Pie, and a Pint from Tiny Dynamite. The Louis Bluver Theatre at the Drake has been temporarily refashioned as Jack’s Pub, named for a series sponsor, with Stargazy pies, Mural City Cellars wine, and Yards beer available to enjoy.

On a frigidly cold night when the sun has long set by the 6:30 curtain time, it’s lovely tucking into the deliciously buttery crust of a meat pie and listening to a charming story unfold before you. The play might not entirely live up to its title, but there’s something to be said for small pleasures too.