The most authentically Scottish show I’ve seen at the Fringe!
F.U.D.S. is a brilliant, gritty, fun performance written by Sam Stuart Fraser and Sean Fullwood that delights and entertains its audience in equal measure. Set entirely in a Glasgow flat shared by the lovable Tinny (Sam Stuart Fraser) and the quiet, ambitious Faolan (Matthew Boyle), the duo invite their high-strung wild dealer, Buzz (Darryl Mair), around for a night he promises will “wake them up”. The fallout that ensues is hysterical and unpredictable, that culminates in a moving performance from all three actors.
What excites me about F.U.D.S. is how true to life it stays while maintaining an air of comedy and melodrama. The three characters’ predicament seems life-or-death to the audience, because to the characters, it is — and we wholeheartedly believe them. Every emotion that they cycle through is experienced by the crowd: this is especially apparent at the play’s climax, where I found myself literally on the edge of my seat. Though the play begins and ends with two guys on a couch, and the rest of the play’s world unaffected by the action that occurs, the characters’ lives are changed forever.
Each of the themes that F.U.D.S. explores — addiction, toxicity within friendship, ambition, intelligence (and different types of it), government disillusion, conspiracy theories — is dealt with using tact, humor, and subtle care. While some jokes, at times, didn’t land with the audience, the overall messages told stand out as compelling and vital. This show is a must-see for fans of Scottish comedy and outstanding new writers, capturing the grit and cynicism that often faces Scottish youth.
(F.U.D.S. is at the Edinburgh Fringe between the 13th and 25th of August, excluding the 19th. Tickets available here: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/f-u-d-s.)