A Letter to Lyndon B Johnson or God: Whoever Reads This First

I bought my ticket to "A Letter to Lyndon B. Johnson or God: Whoever Reads This First" before fringe had even started. When I told people that I bought tickets to all three of Xhloe and Natasha's shows, I was told that I was crazy for getting all three and that I could just as easily get a ticket on the day if I liked their other shows.

Well, with their entire run selling out before the fringe was even halfway done, I think we all know who made the right decision!

You all already know that I have loved their two previous shows, so the bar was set even higher because I had two great shows to compare it to.

This show is a triumph!

I have seen 34 shows at the fringe; I still have a lot more to see, and I already know that this show is the best show I've seen at fringe this season.

The opening scene of the dynamic duo playing "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" on their harmonicas whilst performing their signature physical movement style was enough for me to know that this was a masterpiece. The fact that I got an extra 45 minutes was my lucky day.

"A Letter to Lyndon B. Johnson or God: Whoever Reads This First" perfectly captures the innocence of boyhood trying to come to terms with a world that expects masculinity to be brutal, violent, and toxic.

I was instantly blasted back 25 years ago, fighting with my brother and my cousins about who was the strongest, the bravest, and the toughest. Desperately needing to be the man of the group, none of us knowing what the hell it meant but fearing what would happen if we didn't meet those expectations.

We see Ace and Grasshopper at a boyscout camp. They are obsessed with being tough and making Lyndon B. Johnson proud. We learn about their homelife and the expectations/lack of expectations to be a man. Ace comes from an army family, whilst Grasshopper comes from a family with no father in the picture. Both boys have this need to be a man in spite of their different backgrounds.

With the lone set piece of a tyre, we are hurled through stories of violence, of fear, and of trying to come to terms with right and wrong. We see the parallel of boy scouts and soldiers. Practically the same, except for the weapons. Both just boys trying to win badges and medals to show how manly they are. Both just as scared when faced with a danger they have never felt before. And like immature boys, soldiers can be just as cruel, because "All's fair when you're the good guys."

My mind is left with one unanswered question: Why is this show not on Broadway or the West End?

In a theatre world filled with commercial shows and overly artistic renditions of classics, we need to start filling our theatres with pieces that mean something and that are crafted with skill and brilliance, not alienenating, academic nonsense.

"A Letter to Lyndon B. Johnson or God: Whoever Reads This First" will have you so immersed, you will forget you are in a theatre.

Seriously, on the off chance that any big theatre producers stumble across this review, what on earth are you waiting for, get this show to bigger spaces NOW!!!

If you can't tell already, this show is absolutely getting a Fantastic Fringe Award!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you do manage to secure a ticket, "A Letter to Lyndon B. Johnson or God: Whoever Reads This First" is playing at theSpace on Niddry Street.

What show has been your favourite at fringe so far? I hope you have all been having the best time, and I hope you have a fantastic fringe! 😁

Love,

Tony x