The Serpent's Tooth

I saw this very moving ensemble piece in Oxford before its Edinburgh run. An excellent cast portrays the heartbreak, the bafflement, and the injustice faced by grandparents estranged from their families. We need to see more of this sort of thing. Older people are too often portrayed (if they are at all) as theatrical devices, objects of charity, or as 'comedy gold'. This insightful, empathetic, often witty play shows the lived experience of thousands of grandparents facing this situation today.

The best play we have seen this year. Well written and great acting really involved you in the story. I think the vast majority of people have been touched by some of the themes- it was very moving and thought provoking.

Deserves to be seen by a lot of people. A great script and great acting. Moving and full of humanity. It is wonderful to see a sympathetic window into the lives of older women.

We went on Tuesday 15th and we’re the only four in the audience. The show was fabulous, the actors engaging, strong and believable, the subject matter cleverly written, performed and directed with effective lighting. The best show we saw that day by a mile and so sad that such a good 4* review show in the Scotsman had such bad attendance, I can’t understand why. Well done to the fabulous actors, you were amazing keep going, it is well worth it for the people who are lucky enough to go.

Such a moving, involving, well acted and relevant show with many issues covered. The main question mark though was the almost total lack of an audience. This must be so heartbreaking for the company while it is very sad that people are missing out on one of the best shows on the fringe

A very moving performance by all of the cast.
Makes you laugh and cry all in an hour.
Making you feel emotions for the characters but also making you reflect on your own life situation.
Beautifully performed and written.

We were so fortunate to bump into the writer of this amazing play on our last day at the Fringe. We were completely absorbed by the amazing cast who brought the story of different generations of women dealing with the complexities of family relationships and how easily these close relationships can be lost with devastating consequences. Wonderful performances. Thanks for a memorable last day .

A beautifully, woven fabric of a tale of female, family love and friendship. Relationships are explored and develop with incredibly funny humour and moving realism. It made us both laugh and cry as we felt ourselves take these woman to our hearts. We were also left with
much to think about and discuss as issues that can and are faced by so many.
Incredible performance by a talented cast. A brilliant close to our Edinburgh Fringe this year A must see!

Saw this in Oxford.
Brilliantly acted, painfully sad, imaginative staging. Tough subject with a powerful performance.

Fantastic! An emotional roller coaster. A modern day story about family dynamics and the important, yet often fragile relationship grandparents play in their children and grandchildren’s lives. Don’t miss it!

This topic of this play is so often not talked about. It is of the relationship between grandparents, their children and grandchildren. As a parent you have a lot of power over your children and often this is abused and children can be weaponised and used in order to hurt others. The play covers 3 generations, one mother is between a demanding parent and demanding daughter and the other parent has been refused access to her granddaughter. This kind of situation is so personal and private that it gets hidden. The play is beautifully written and acted. There is pain and there is comedy. If you have ever been is such a situation or know someone who has or is you will find this play helpful and healing.

I saw this show just before it left for Edinburgh. It is thoroughly engaging. The subject is unique, the writing is moving and at times funny. The directing is excellent and the production is simple, precise and perfect for the festival. Above everything else is the warm, humorous and emotional performances of the four actors. I was so moved by the whole show, I can't stop thinking about it. Why don't we talk about this subject more? I'm am looking forward to seeing it again.

Great performances from the actors tell the main story of grandparents/grandchild estrangement. This storyline is further interwoven with other relationships in handling elderly parents, grandparent careers and long lost relatives. Myself and my teenage daughters thoroughly enjoyed the portrayal of current day social issues. Absolutely recommended.

I highly recommend adding The Serpent’s Tooth to your 'Must Watch!' list whilst at Ed Fringe this year. I caught the show in Oxford and was very moved by it. The story is hugely relatable to anyone that’s had any kind of family struggles and the performances are mesmerising!
If you’re looking for high quality drama, beautiful performances and a captivating story, book this show!

A very nicely crafted piece of theatre. Whilst the main theme is of the severing of ties the various other relationships weave an engaging story. If you like good theatre I think you will like this
(Reviewer 70 year old male)