The Simpsons play that you can't unsee: Mr Burns review

Wacky doesn't even begin to describe Mr Burns, the latest production at the Almeida Theatre. There's a moment in this production where Mr Burns breaks Marge Simpson's neck and then proceeds to kill Lisa Simpson during sex whilst singing 'Toxic' by Britney Spears. Hours later, I'm still rather traumatized. So, on with the review...

This production is split into three acts, and opens with 40 minutes of the actors around a campfire discussing one particular episode of The Simpsons - 1993's 'Cape Feare'. The backstory of a nuclear fallout is only drip-fed through dialogue, and most of The Simpsons references will go over the heads of anyone that isn't a die-hard fan.

With each act, the action increases and the wackiness multiplies. In the second act, we see the survivors touring dystopian America with live-action reenactments of popular TV shows complete with advert breaks.

For the final 45 minutes, the actors return to the stage in costumes that vaguely resemble the Simpson family. The entire third act is performed as an opera as Mr Burns hunts down and massacres The Simpsons whilst they all sing tracks including Ricky Martin's 'Livin' La Vida Loca', Eminem's 'Lose Yourself', Baha Men's 'Who Let The Dogs Out', LMFAO's 'Party Rock Anthem'... and, as mentioned before, 'Toxic' by Britney Spears features in one particularly baffling scene. Need I continue?

There were a few laughs for the third act but they were only ever coming from the same woman, sat to the side of the front row. I'm going to assume she's either the playwright, a family member to the cast or was just laughing out of the sheer awkwardness of it all.

The most engaging, effective moments are those unrelated to The Simpsons. The survivors of the nuclear fallout reminisce about the luxuries in life that we take for granted, mainly Diet Coke. Other interesting points made include themes about how in a post-apocalyptic future, we might reflect and find comfort more in television and other pivotal moments of popular culture than from history books or religious texts.

But these parts could've been more effective if the production played on a live-action, more reality-based sitcom that would've been equally recognised, such as Friends, Seinfield or Will & Grace. Playwright Anne Washburn has admitted she was considering using Friends or Cheers - either one would've been a much better choice. Asking audiences to believe in a post-apocalyptic dystopia is one thing, but to throw in an animation show as your base might be a step too far.

Animation can translate into successful theatre - The Lion King and Shrek: The Musical have both proven to be immensely popular. But they were working with a much bigger budget and kept the original story and characters, whilst Mr Burns turns too much of the iconic sitcom on its head.

Mr Burns has a thick Louisiana accent and looks like Johnny Depp channeling Beetlejuice. Homer is turned into an American Football player, and making Nelson a rapper feels like a lazy stereotype of an angry teenager, whereas the genius of The Simpsons and its writing was often in the subtlety of the comedy.

This isn't something for fans of The Simpsons. But at the same time, you'd need a rather intense level of knowledge on the iconic show in order to fully understand Mr Burns, and it remains quite unclear who this production is aimed at - fans of the animated comedy, or fans of leftfield theatre and opera? It doesn't mesh well.

The production gets one star for its sheer ambition and that it does have some potential - but crucially, it just fell flat and doesn't work.

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Mr Burns runs until Saturday, July 26 at the Almeida Theatre. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.almeida.co.uk/event/mrburns.