Oli Fuller
A delightful yet sinister hour of pure artistry.
Meet Mayor Max follows the story of performer, Alex Robins, as he goes on an adventure to meet the Mayor of Idyllwild, California, a golden retriever named Max. Theatre meets documentary as Alex takes you through the history of this town’s canine leadership, and the work Mayor Max has done in the town, with his one doggy goal, peace on earth.
Alex Robins is unbelievably talented, with a performance which draws you in, makes you feel warm and comfortable, before turning on you. It is one of the most gripping performances I have seen this year, drawing you in, getting you into a position where you would quite literally agree to anything, while still treating the wholesome topic of meeting Mayor Max with the utmost sincerity.
The show takes the form of a deep dive, feeling akin to a live video essay, and is brilliantly detailed and consistently entertaining while still being informative. This show gives you your fair share of cute pictures of dogs, while also being genuinely educational and interesting.
A lot of the sheer joy of this show is tied to its ability to completely subvert the narrative, and through fear of ruining the experience of others watching this show in the future, I won’t tell you the journey Alex goes on through the hour, I’ll simply tell you that it is a brilliant and terrifying transformation of what I had believed would be a sweet and wholesome show.
Meet Mayor Max is a show that needs to be seen, for entertainment, for information, and for the talent and power of the performer.
Recommended Drink: Water out of a dog bowl.
Performances of Meet Mayor Max have now concluded at EdFringe 2026.
Eve Miller
