▁tend ▁towards ▁odd ball ▁b izar re . ▁The ▁plot ▁sp ins ▁wild ly ▁out ▁of ▁control ▁with ▁Act ▁ 1 ▁ending ▁in ▁total ▁bed lam . ▁However , ▁if ▁you ' re ▁ready ▁to ▁susp end ▁belief ▁and ▁simply ▁enjoy ▁an ▁imag in ative ▁mind ▁at ▁work , ▁you ' ll ▁have ▁a ▁bel ly - full ▁of ▁laugh s ." ▁ ▁Five ▁years ▁after ▁its ▁debut , ▁it ▁had ▁been ▁produced ▁at ▁over ▁ 2 0 0 ▁ven ues ▁across ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁The ▁play ▁was ▁nominated ▁for ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁Out er ▁Crit ics ▁Circle ▁John ▁G ass ner ▁Play w right ing ▁Award . ▁ ▁Re actions ▁were ▁mixed ▁when ▁Sam ▁M endes ▁launched ▁the ▁first ▁British ▁production ▁of ▁the ▁play . ▁The ▁rev iewer ▁in ▁The ▁Guardian ▁pointed ▁to ▁Ar sen ic ▁and ▁Old ▁L ace ▁and ▁You ▁Can ' t ▁Take ▁It ▁with ▁You ▁as ▁examples ▁that ▁Americans ▁( in ▁his ▁opinion ) ▁had ▁a ▁tradition ▁of ▁works ▁" in ▁which ▁w ack iness ▁was ▁a ▁sign ▁of ▁liber ating ▁individual ism ", ▁but ▁that ▁"... it ▁means ▁little ▁to ▁us ▁here ." ▁The ▁play ▁also ▁deb uted ▁in ▁a ▁tradition ally - weak ▁theatre ▁season ▁for ▁London ' s ▁West ▁End ▁and ▁it ▁closed ▁after ▁only ▁three ▁weeks . ▁Though ▁F ud dy ▁Me ers ▁was ▁later ▁produced ▁elsewhere ▁in ▁the ▁UK , ▁it ▁never ▁saw ▁the ▁same ▁success ▁it ▁had ▁seen ▁in ▁North ▁America . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Notes ▁▁