What I liked
The premise.
What I didn't like
You are on the right track. If you care to be a bit more accurate in Bono and the Edges relationship just know that Bono would never criticize Edges’ music or echo pedal. I would try a different reason for conflict between them. Perhaps Bono is annoyed with Edges’ inability to understand or his push back when Bono asks for musical ideas in his flowery language. Bono often will say give me a guitar part that sounds “brown.” Or “sandy.” Or the bass should sound like “glue.” Referring to sounds with language and terms often used to describe wine. Just a thought.
My overall impression
Full disclosure: I am a U2 fan, and have been since the early nineties. I’ve seen every one of their tours (sometimes multiple shows) and pretty much own everything they’ve ever released. In fact, the reason I was at this play was I read about it on a U2 fan club website.
What intrigued me enough to buy a ticket for the play was the premise: A take on “Waiting For Godot”, with Bono and Edge commenting on celebrity. A topic that has become painfully in vogue with our reality star President. It somehow made sense.
My trepidation going in was the expectation of the writing of this play. Would the portrayals be accurate? Would the dialogue ring true? Would there be a message beyond the obvious, and subtle enough to keep it “real?” Happily I left feeling entertained. Which is THE most important thing when writing anything.
There were enough funny moments of tongue-in-cheek stabs at Bono’s magnificent ego to keep me from tuning out. Whether you are a U2 fan or not you are quite aware of his grand pontificating. Everything from art to poverty to a nation’s GDP are topics Bono can discuss, and in poetic terms and phrases to boot! It can annoy you at times, but it’s never without passion or merit.
I don’t know the writer/director, Richard Lucas but I would bet he’s a U2 fan. And what I liked best about his play was his treatment of his protagonist. Bono is earnest and annoying at times, but Bono is also honest and flawed. And Lucas uses these traits to bring up a discussion about celebrity and the trappings and ugliness of it. Who would believe a play of this topic if the lead character was Madonna, or worse Trump? Who would give a shit, really? With Bono you believe his angst of losing his grip with reality. One of my favorite lines in the play was delivered by “The Edge” when he ponders the cost of a pizza, settling on $1000. These are men not living in the real world.
The characters of Domingo and Lucky added to the mystery of the play. They were the ugly outcome of fame and entitlement that courses through our celebrity-driven culture. I welcomed them as apparitions of Bono and The Edge. A fantasy induced by Edge’s growing hunger for pizza, and Bono’s hunger for redemption of becoming too… big.
And if there are doubts Bono harbors in his worth as a song writer, Lucky provides a brilliant riff of his lyrics which brings Bono to summation, and myself to silent awe.
And it is how I left the theatre. Nothing answered but much questioned. The scourge of celebrity worship under the microscope. This is a good thing.
