Writers: Sam Woof & Màth Roberts
Director: Sam Woof
Ever felt compelled to steal the ashes of your dead friend and take them across the sea to scatter them somewhere? The answer is probably no, but this forms the premise of the show Four Felons and a Funeral, a warm-hearted feel-good show that takes us on a journey both literally (the action mostly takes place in a car) and figuratively as the characters deal with the loss of their friend and brother and how they feel about him and each other in the aftermath of his death.
Though the content of the show may suggest otherwise, this is not a particularly deep show, nor does it need to be. This is a romantic comedy from GOYA, an award winning young queer theatre company, that hits all the right notes, both musically and in its portrayal of the four friends and their connections with each other.
Along the way to Dublin, where Charlie was to be laid to rest, there were memorable musical stop offs at Chester services and Holyhead ferry port, songs about being fine, when you really aren’t and a song about a key that really isn’t and a guest appearance by a Toblerone. None of this makes sense out of context, but the four actors do a brilliant job of interweaving their back stories, the songs and their individual narratives together to create a beautiful snapshot of this dysfunctional foursome and their desire to say a proper goodbye to their friend.
We see Wilf, who is seemingly all about the socials and the drama, with a short attention span and an eye for a hook up is played sensitively by Jordan Broatch, who provides the backbone to the play, holding the others together when they most need it.
Saz (Rua Barron) was an exceptional combination of ignorant control freak and anxiety driven softy who just wants to stop chasing her girlfriend Millie (Gabrielle Friedman) and settle down with her. Millie on the other hand doesn’t want to be confined or to necessarily stay on the right side of the law; Friedman conveyed this with warmth and energy throughout, but particularly in scenes with Bex, ex-girlfriend of Millie and sister of Charlie. Maddy Maguire is an excellent dead pan, hard-seeming Bex, who is falling apart inside, trying desperately to feel sad at her brother’s death but instead feeling something like hate.
Voices in this show are as strong as the acting and this balanced and slick production should prove to be a hit with Fringe audiences, if not for the feel-good factor alone, then for the quality of the cast, excellent direction and pithy, clever script.
Runs until 27 August 2023 | Image: Contributed
