A feel-good chess comedy and love letter to nerds everywhere
It’s 2007, and the overly-confident, borderline-sadistic Hector is set to win the school chess championship, as he has done for several years now. However, the innocent, Pokemon-loving Benny is here to give him a run for his money. We engage in twenty minutes of a nail-biting chess match, overseen by their unbothered PE teacher, Coach Penk. Will the underdog take the win? Will Hector crumble under the pressure? And could the unlikely duo even form a friendship, in spite of their differences?
As someone who used to compete in chess tournaments myself, “Checkmate” hits the nail on the head. The competitiveness, pressure and delight of chess is perfectly encapsulated in this twenty-minute short play. A visual depiction of the match is projected onto the back of the stage, helping us keep track of the game. The competitors walk out to epic music and rambunctious cheers from the crowd – it feels more like a WWE match than a school chess tournament from the beginning, and the effect is hilarious.
I must acknowledge the commitment to character from all the actors in “Checkmate.” The performances were larger than life, and helped add to the farcical nature of the piece. Tonally, it reminded me of William Finn’s “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” a musical which also portrays nerdy tweens in opposition with each other.
The characterisation was so well done, in fact, that I’d argue the monologues from each character were unnecessary. We already knew who they were and what they wanted from how they interact with each other and the audience. The dialogue was so witty and well-rehearsed it seemed a shame to break out of it in favour of soliloquies.
The relationship with the audience was admirable for a group of emerging performers. We were booing, cheering and laughing along like it was a pantomime. We felt involved, and in on every joke, which is a pretty impressive feat to pull off.
“Checkmate” is a funny, feel-good story, littered with moments of real poignancy and wisdom. It, like the character Benny, doesn’t take itself too seriously, and comes out victorious as a result.