Snakes & Ladders is a Losing Game

Benedict Esdale’s "Snakes & Ladders is a Losing Game" is a rollercoaster of love, heartbreak, and emotional chess ♟️ Meet Sarah & Jack, ex-lovers turned besties, who indulge in therapeutic board games every Tuesday, courtesy of Sarah's no-nonsense therapist, Dr Motherf*cker…

The play's rhythm unveils Sarah's evolution from past relationships, cleverly using board games as a metaphor for the twists & turns in her history with Jack⌛❤️

Jigsaw puzzles for relationship pieces coming together (or falling apart), chess for strategic battles, and Snakes and Ladders for romantic strides & setbacks, Monopoly for ownership & control, Scrabble for communication & understanding each other through words…

The games serve as a canvas for the complexities of love & breakups💔 It’s all fun & board games until it culminates in Sarah exposing Jack’s emotional immaturity…

In a climactic confrontation, Jack's misogynistic outburst unveils the toxic dynamics at play, underlining the play's exploration of toxic masculinity…

Passing questions of queerness & capitalism add moments of intrigue, but these aspects feel underdeveloped. The constant arguing, admittedly reflective of post-breakup chaos, can be exhausting for the audience…🌪️

🐍🪜"Snakes & Ladders is a Losing Game" will resonate with those who have encountered emotionally unavailable partners #iykyk. It also makes us think about gendered societal norms & the need for emotional expression within relationships...

Mixing revenge & melancholy, this play gives a raw look at the aftermath of love's intricate game. 3/5⭐