Saw the Musical: The Unauthorised Parody of Saw  is an enigma all of its own creation. The writers took one of the scariest psychological thrillers and it turned it into a camp musical complete with puppets, blow ups dolls and buckets of fake blood.

The piece is created by Cooper Jordan, with a book by Zoe Ann Jordan, music & lyrics by Patrick Spencer & Anthony De Angelis, and directed by Tony Award winner Stephanie Rosenberg. The creativity and energy behind this show is absolutely fantastic and it is the one of the highlights of this year’s Halloween season.

Saw the Musical: The Unauthorized Parody of Saw has the vibes of a pop-up performance in a previously abandoned and creepy theater with no signs and minimal advertisements. People quietly enter the building, disappearing to the back, perhaps never to be seen again. There are only three actors performing all of the characters: Quinn Moran as Gordan/Zepp, Jack O’Brien as Adam/Diana and Sarah K. Adams as Amanda/Alli/Jigsaw. The chemistry between these three is nothing short of amazing as they zoom in and out of costume and character changes. Personally, nothing cracks me up more than the actors themselves barely able to keep a straight face during the shenanigans of live theater. It is obvious that they all find joy in being on the stage. To find out more about the show and the cast of unlikely characters, please head to their Instagram page @sawthemusical.

Saw the Musical: The Unauthorised Parody of Saw is only in Philadelphia for a very limited engagement with only a handful of performances left. As someone who personally hates horror, I was ambivalent about the show and took my Bestie who loves horror. We both loved it (for different reasons) and enthusiastically recommend it. We overheard them say that many shows are sold out, so hurry up and get your tickets today!

Spooky and fun.

*** Four stars

Reviewed by: Jamie Flowers

Saw the Musical: The Unauthorized Parody of Saw plays at the Adrienne Theater, Philadelphia until 30 October, with tickets available here.