No Place Like Home, written and performed by Alex Roberts, fuses music, dance, spoken word and video design to explore gay club culture and the impact of shame on queer identity and community. Roberts performs a visceral, lyrical text, telling the story of young gay man Connor who meets Rob, an older gay guy who works on the bar at a local club. Connor is fresh to the scene with less experience and is looking for guidance. Maybe Rob will be able to help with that. But having a healthy relationship with your sexuality and even potential partners is hard when the spaces you need are difficult to find.
Roberts’ text is beautifully nuanced, witty, funny and deeply emotional. He practically sings through parts of it, creating a lovely rapport with the audience. This pays off hugely as the story progresses and things become darker; more vulnerable. By the end of the show, Roberts’ face is smudged with tears; the music, movement and story all build to a difficult climax. Still, there is ambiguity in the text, and the show is less a preachy message singing to the converted, rather instead exploring the complexities of queer sex culture.
Video sometimes feels like an add-on, or a replacement for set which doesn’t always work, but that’s definitely not the case here. Virginie Taylor’s video design in this is superb. It’s a vital part of the storytelling. Human bodies dance and rave, immersing Roberts in the club space, with flashes of neon-coloured lights and sparkles. Roberts effortlessly transitions between the two central characters, the flick of his cap and adjustments to his voice and body language making the switch. Connor is light and vulnerable. Rob is tougher, more grounded and confident.
Underneath the smoke, and Jac Cooper’s electric sound design and composition, is an exploration of the play’s title; a question of what or where is home, as we witness Connor’s attempt to find it. At one moment, during the club’s stripping contest, Roberts removes his shorts and jacket to reveal a Dorothy dress underneath. The imagery of Dorothy clicking her heels appears at another moment, projected onto the background. It’s a clear motif that runs really nicely throughout the show.
At the risk of telling a story that’s been told many times before, Roberts avoids this by presenting something fresh, unique and totally compelling. He’s a brilliant storyteller, and the blend of artforms in this show makes it very special indeed.
Reviewed 10th August 2022
by Joseph Winer
For dates and venues for all Fringe shows, click on the image below
“It’s a decent debut play from Gearty, which shows lots of promise for her as a writer”
Eliza Gearty’s debut play About Money tells the story of a Shaun (Michael McCardie), an eighteen-year-old fast-food worker in Glasgow, who has to balance nights shifts flipping burgers at ‘Tasties’ with caring responsibilities for his little sister Sophie (Lois Hagerty). His minimum wage just about covers the bills, and he relies heavily on best pal Eddie (Matthew Boyle) to watch his sister whilst he works. The stress of the job is overwhelming, and an attempt to have some sort of social life puts everything into jeopardy.
Gearty’s play touches on some really pertinent issues. The minimum wage is a joke – even Shaun’s promotion only gives him an increase to nine quid an hour – in a job with no security, no stability and no real room for any growth. The cost-of-living crisis has an impact on most of us, but Gearty’s play highlights how it definitely affects some more than others. When Hannah relocates from London to join the Tasties team, she’s not fussed about the workplace rules and has no qualms about sticking her middle finger up at the CCTV – even if the franchise manager is keeping a close watch of the footage. Sure, she has her troubles too, but perhaps the job is just a job for her. She needs the money, but her life won’t be torn apart in the same way as Shaun’s will if he gets the sack.
There is some lovely poetry in the writing in terms of motif: eight-year-old Sophie’s interest in space and the stars sees her drawing constellations on the back of chairs, and Duncan Gallagher’s sound design is particularly impressive, an extra-terrestrial quality to the scene transition music which really helps to set the atmosphere and the pace of the storytelling.
Lois Hagerty is a brilliant young performer as little sister Sophie. She has an endearing air of curiosity about her, and her timing throughout is excellent, as is her confident stage presence. McCardie shows off a touching sense of vulnerability as Shaun. We feel really sorry for him and his situation, as he treads on eggshells whilst asking his boss for more shift flexibility. Matthew Boyle plays a very playful Eddie and Isabele De Rosa brings some much needed contrast with her rebellious attitude, promptly switching to concern and care when things start to go wrong. Rohit Kumar does a solid job as the stern franchise Manager; the character is written a little archetypally, but he does well to make him believable and find the layers.
A few parts of the story could do with more clarity, and I think Gearty sometimes tries to cram in too many ideas rather than really digging deep into the play’s major themes. A conversation about work unions only skims the surface, and Shaun and Hannah’s date feels quite unlikely given the stark contrasts in their personalities. We need to see what bonds them and brings them together. There’s also a slightly jarring moment when, after crisis strikes, Shaun and Eddie burst straight into an argument, rather than focusing on the issue at hand. Shaun seems to give up pretty much straight away, which feels at odds with his character.
It’s a decent debut play from Gearty, which shows lots of promise for her as a writer. What maybe lacks in depth of plot is made up for with some strong performances, and the chemistry between all of the characters. Alex Kampfner’s direction keeps the action light on its feet and, overall, it’s a pretty nice way to start a busy day in Edinburgh.
Reviewed 9th August 2022
by Joseph Winer
Photography by Mihaela Bodlovic
For dates and venues for all Fringe shows, click on the image below
