Pterodactyls

by Nicky Silver

An absurdist black comedy about the demise of the Duncan family, and, by extension, the species. Emma Duncan, a hypochondriac with memory problems, and her orphaned fianc

Genres: Plays, Drama, Humor, Theatre, Read For School, Fiction, LGBT

72 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

Reviews

[Erin the Avid Reader ⚜BFF's with the Cheshire Cat⚜ · Rating 1 out of 5]

This play has been described as “absurdist” by its own author and by the jacket of the book. That alone should have strayed me from approaching this. Any play I have read that claims to be “absurdist” is simply a masquerading term for “nonsensical” and “contrived”.

Other than brief sparks of dark humor that made me laugh out loud a couple times, I overall found this play very boring, muddled, and weird in not a very good way. Why do playwriters think they’re being creative by interrupting dialogue with weird instances of soliloquy or meandering monologues? I feel this only works if it’s used a mere once as a plot twist or to explain an occurrence of the past, but here, it’s used quite frequently, creating this confusing mish-mash of a plot(?) that was incredibly difficult to follow.

One of the references that made me laugh was in homage to Harold Pinter’s The Birthday Party. I feel that it doesn’t really count though since I felt quite bitter afterwards. It merely served as a reminder that I could be reading a much better, well-written play.

Here’s to hoping The Agony & The Agony provides for a better read. Otherwise, I’ll be avoiding Silver like the plague going forward.

[Taylor Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absurd and clever examination of denial and how it will lead to our extinction. Disguised with a hilarious rapid-fire pace is an acerbic wit that simultaneously cuts to the bone and breaks your heart.

[Payton J · Rating 5 out of 5]

surprised i didnt review this when i actually read it. ok this is super poignant and also hilarious 24/7. if you read it as if it is being serious you will feel distraught the entire time about the horrors of the situation. but if you read it with the humor it is one of the best black comedies ever. shoutout main line PA for being honestly the best setting for this book. i love all of the characters and they all deserved better and i want to do this show sooooooo badly its crazy. 10/10 perfect read to make you contemplate life for a month. (i guessed the day i finished it bc i forgor)

[Jace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, hard hitting, certainly dark. The dialogue is extremely fast paced but it feels alive in that way and it helps it from dragging on all of the dark subject matter. I liked that it is not too explicit in the characters' backstories but you can fill in the holes in your head. I'm so glad Emma gets her happy ending poor girl. There's definitely a strong deeper message that hits home at the end but I did not totally get it after my first reading.

[Nick K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark, brutally honest and undeniably human. Yes, the characters can be a bit obnoxious in the beginning. However, in the end, I feel they redeem themselves by shedding their manic skin, dropping their denial of the truth and embracing their own darkness. Which makes them relatable and beautiful!

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think it's probably a lot more interesting to see than to read.

[Lise · Rating 5 out of 5]

yo this play is fucked up and i love it

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Has some really funny moments but doesn't hold up that well and is kinda comically flat. Audacious but in service of what?

[Rene · Rating 4 out of 5]

read for class

[ryke · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite play I've ever read! The complexity and lightness of the story is refreshing when talking about something so heavy

[G W · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t get it

[Jeremy Hurd-McKenney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Close to 3.5 stars--this one had its problems, but it was funny and rapid-paced, and I could imagine being entertained watching it on stage. Some of the material, though, wasn't absurdist as much as it was just dumb, and the man playing the character of Arthur would have to be an extremely talented actor to get noticed at all in the manic ensemble.

[Alyce Hunt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm thinking 'Pterodactyls' will work brilliantly on stage, because I felt entertained while reading the play; it just feels a bit too manically rapid to really enjoy it as the written word. The writing is witty, and the shrewd observations on the state of humanity are thought-provoking, so it is very well done... I just think it will be much more enjoyable seeing it played out.

[Colin · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5