The giant clown’s neon glow hummed as I stood in the chilly, North Hollywood parking lot, awaiting my contact. Eventually, I spotted him across the way; striped shirt, arm in a sling, a little squirrelly. He sauntered over and yelled “There you are! We’ve been waiting for you!” It wasn’t long before he took me around the corner into an alleyway, where three others were waiting. My contact stared at us with hard eyes: “The job is simple: I have squatters and I want them out.”
And so begins HAG, the latest from The Queen’s Fools, one of the best immersive groups working in Los Angeles today (I say this without hesitation, as the group is made up of some of the best immersive creators in the industry).
Let me get this out of the way first: HAG is great. Like, real great. If you’re a fan of great theater, this is for you. If you’re a fan of Shakespeare, this is for you. Hell, if you are a fan of Los Angeles immersive shows circa 2018/2019, this show is definitely for you.
HAG is a modern day take on Macbeth, focusing on the Weird Sisters. While I don’t want to give away much about the story itself, I will say it’s one of the funniest and entertaining shows I’ve seen in awhile. Though I did see it in the middle of haunt season, this isn’t necessarily a scary show (though there was one jump scare at the end that GOT ME really good).
Beautifully written by Morgan Taylor & Mason Conrad, the show really lets you get intimate with the Weird Sisters and captures their incredibly (for lack of a better word) weird vibe. Everyone has their moment, and since the audience is capped at 4, there are plenty of one-on-one moments with the sisters, allowing you to get to know their personalities and…eccentricity. And while you are tasked with removing the squatters, you quickly begin to question who is trapped in there with who.
Aly Trasher, Anja Racic, and Morgan Taylor excel in their roles, really bringing a short of Sanderson Sister vibe to their characters, each as strange as the last. Just when you think they can’t get any weirder, there they go, worshiping a Nintendo 64, or sending you on an absolutely insane scavenger hunt for ingredients for their potion. Literally every moment you are with them is packed with one-liners, story points, and great moments.
The Queen’s Fools have proved themselves again and again as the premiere Shakespeare theater company in Los Angeles, let alone a premiere immersive company. I have enjoyed everything I’ve seen from them, and they have shown they really know how to handle the immersive side of things. Tickets sell out quite quickly, so I recommend keeping an eye out and jumping on them immediately when more are released. HAG is a can not miss experience. Like, truly. I am so incredibly impressed with the work they do, and cannot wait to see what comes next.
Visit them online at https://www.thequeensfools.com/ or on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/thequeensfools
