Inis Nua and Tiny Dynamite present Kieran Hurley and Gary McNair’s Square Go

Max (Owen Corey) and his best mate Stevie (Tyler S. Elliott) are hiding out in the boys’ bathroom and preparing for Max’s first ever square go (Scottish slang for a fight) with none other than Danny Guthrie, the toughest boy in school.

A dynamic duo

Corey and Elliott are a dynamic duo on stage. Their charisma, chemistry, and quick-witted back-and-forth drive the breakneck pace of director Kathryn MacMillan’s production, a tight 85 minutes of comedy and controlled chaos. These adult actors do a phenomenal job embodying teenage boys with flailing gangly limbs, hyperactive energy, and overconfidence masking their insecurity. Corey jitters across the stage, full of nervous energy which bleeds into the audience, heightening the tension and suspense. But he also brings a boyish charm that has you rooting for him against all odds, especially as his backstory begins to unravel.

Elliott shines in his lightning-fast transformations from goofy Stevie into the growling, baritone rage of Danny Guthrie. Playing other one-off ensemble characters, he is flamboyant and wacky, then cruel and rabid, a berserk glint in his eyes. Costume designer Liv Hershey captures the whimsical and farcical spirit of the play best in these characters, from the colorful chrome “Macho Man” Randy Savage costume to the comically large blow-up hat and fist of Big Jordan.

A merry atmosphere

The action of the play combines the characters’ reality, flashbacks, and daydreams. Chris Haig’s utilitarian set brings these liminal spaces to life. The set pieces, excluding a forgettable bathroom stall in the corner, are all used to their fullest extent. A pop-up pub provides pints for a drinking contest during the play and to serve the audience drinks when entering.

This production, the first collaboration between Inis Nua’s Pop-Up Play in a Pub and Tiny Dynamite’s A Play, A Pie, and A Pint, is an ideal way to experience Square Go. Having a pie and a pint contributes to the informal and merry atmosphere—a great complement to a play that leans heavily on audience participation. Each ticket includes a savory pie (vegetarian and gluten-free options available) and a glass of beer, wine, or soda.

The perils of masculinity

Square Go’s themes of masculinity, class conflict, and friendship are universal, but the play is also embedded in its Scottish context. The playbill offers a glossary of Scottish slang and references, a clever addition for an American audience. Dialect coach Melanie Julian does exceptional work coaching the casts’ natural-sounding Scottish accents, but on opening night, a few lapses back into an American drawl during climactic moments undermined the dramatic tension.

Max and Stevie are as much friends as they are opponents, with jokes that often cut to the bone. Stevie lists the “seven attributes of being a man” (ranging from “fearlessness” to “hairiness”) and takes every opportunity to remind Max that he loses in all categories. These outwardly cheeky jibes are a reminder that even amid a changing social landscape, masculinity has yet to redefine itself.

“That’s not in the rules,” Stevie, tearful and afraid, yells to Max. He doesn’t want Max to be humiliated or hurt, but he can see no way out of this fight or the well-worn path of anger and repression before them. Square Go highlights the struggle of rudderless young men today, trying to forge a new path with no role model to look up to.

An undercurrent of fear, confusion, and heartbreak goes hand-in-hand with the show’s laugh-out-loud humor. You’ll leave the theater wanting to go right back.