A knotty, intense exploration of a drunken fumble between friends
We Had Fun bills itself as the “anti-romcom”, as two close friends unpick a drunken sexual encounter. Oscar (Jack Mullings) remembers it as a wild night out that took an unexpected turn. Ela (Emmeline Hartley) isn’t so sure. Taking place over a single conversation between the two friends, We Had Fun is an urgent and important exploration of consent and conflicting memories.
The show opens by rapidly montaging the friends’ history – from first meeting when Ela moved into the same building as Oscar, through their burgeoning friendship, and onto their friends joking they would make a great couple. Very quickly we reach the awkward conversation: was last time a date, or not? Did Ela invite Oscar home, or didn’t she? Was Ela too drunk for sex, or had she just had a brilliant night out?
We Had Fun doesn’t offer easy answers to these questions, even once we’ve seen flashbacks to the night itself. It’s brave to leave Oscar so sympathetic, whilst making Ela’s distress so palpable – making for an intensely uncomfortable conversation. We Had Fun doesn’t flinch away from the knottiness of this issue: if you’re both so drunk, and you can’t quite remember the evening, is having a bad feeling about it enough?
This intensity is elevated by a slick production, with ample music and lighting changes shifting between locations and time periods. Props and onstage furniture make it easy to imagine each scene as it unfolds. As the narrative progresses, the audience are invited to play detective. The sofa shifts into a bed, and we watch scenes we’ve just heard Oscar and Ela recall. Who gets it wrong?
There are two other characters in the show – Oscar’s flatmates – but these feel underdeveloped and unnecessary, almost as though they’ve been added to ensure this isn’t just a show about straight people. Sid in particular is an unpleasant presence, embodying a deliberately boorish drinking culture. They feel like the annoying child in a Disney Channel movie, who you just want to get out of the way so the plot can move forward. At various times, the actors playing the flatmates intrude on key scenes between Ela and Oscar, gesticulating as distracting bookends to the conversation in a sort of interpretive dance. Other than in a late scene – acting out the moment of sexual intercourse itself – this feels like an unnecessary distraction.
True to the complexity of its issues, We Had Fun refuses to tie its story together neatly at the end. A powerful re-enactment of the night Oscar and Ela have been recounting shows the audience exactly what happened, and trusts them to make their own decision. A final scene transporting back to the present feels unnecessary; it would be better to remain sitting with the uncertainty. With a little more belief in the power of its dialogue, this would hit even harder.
We Had Fun is a powerful and important piece of theatre: an unflinching, courageous portrayal of an issue that feels particularly relevant right now. As long as you go in prepared for a heavy piece of theatre, this is well worth watching.
Show Listing: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/we-had-fun
LISTINGS INFORMATION
Venue: Old Lab, Summerhall
Dates: Aug 6th–31st (excl. 18th, 25th)
Time: 18:00 (65 mins)
Ticket prices: £17 / concessions £14.50
Fringe box office: 0131 226 0000 / www.edfringe.com
Suitable for 16+