Phoebe Bakker
In a rotating roller deck of characters, we watch in abject horror as sweet boy Tom, who’s current interest is playing Robin hood and finding his Maid Marian suddenly transported to grown adult. Now grown, he’s ditched all thoughts of his former childhood whimsy and instead is repulsive to everyone around him adopting the new name Fudgey. Fudgey is a deeply satirical one man comedy about the affects of boarding school and a return to, I suppose in many ways, innocence.
Thrown off kilter from the get go, the audience are catapulted into the world of Tom and what it’s like to be him at seven seen through the eyes of his mother who can’t seem to understand why he’s acting the way he is. The acting in question? A little boy who just wants to play and is afraid of what boarding school might bring. Cut to the next day and the little boy is now a full grown business man walking around calling everyone ‘shagger’, with a wife who he hates, and hates him, and will not stop offering everyone including the audience a ‘choccy’.
The story its self is really smart – it’s easy to follow even with the revolving doors of characters popping out at every turn. Everything flows slickly even with time jumping around, each character is clear and gives us perfect clarity to where we are in space and time. The ending, without spoilers, is actually surprisingly emotional and comes to a satisfying conclusion that leaves the audience a feel good feeling. At the heart of this show is quite a profound storyline. A exploration of generational trauma, the consequences of repressing all of those feelings down in a pairing with peer pressure that explores the exaggerated life of an upper middle class grotesque man. I found myself at points thinking perhaps this is too far, too much, but each character is rooted in a very real truth and I noticed myself making comparisons to real life people.
There are times throughout that the show become eerily uncomfortable, from scenes at a funeral to the exploration of boarding school. I feel itchy, I want to look away but it’s extremely captivating and Greaves does well navigating these scenes and people because even at the highest level of uncomfortable – he is enigmatic. The audience can’t help but at points somehow feel bad for him. Even if we’re watching a six foot something man standing in his tighty whiteys with a peter pan hat on his hat he still seems to invoke an a sympathetic aw from the audience.
There are moments within the show where I don’t think he is always on side with the audience. They seem tentative throughout, the joy is never dulled and the hilarity reigns strong but at points for interaction the audience are unsure what to make of it which feels like an unfortunate side effect of having Clown mixed with Buffon. It pays off brilliantly in the creation of these crass characters but puts us at a distance for any want for a collaboration which is truly a shame.
It’s clear throughout however that Greaves’ skill level is through the roof. The deftness of how he transforms to each character to the the sheer horror and delight that we find feels like we’re being plucked string by string all falling together to create a perfect symphony. I’m impressed throughout, throughly enjoying myself over each and every turn.
Go for the comedy, stay for the Peter Pan hat.
Recommended Drink: Lager bought with daddy’s credit card and a chaser of lads lads lads
You can catch Fudgey until August 26th at 17:55 @ Assembly Roxy Tickets are available through the EdFringe Box Office.
Jake Mace
