Remember, Remember the 5th of November – this confused production is difficult to recall
Gunpowder, treason and plot. This is what Guy Fawkes’ attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605 is best known for, yet two of the three are bafflingly missing from Emma Howlett’s The Plot. Fawkes is the subject of not one, but two shows at this year’s Fringe. Remember, Remember is a musical fizzing with camp energy and catchy songs; in stark contrast, The Plot is a straight-faced, humourless exploration of truth and the power of propaganda.
Two brothers involved in the foiled plot are hanged, and awaken in what they assume is purgatory. They play games, and discuss their failed scheme: there’s another brother, so where is he? How could a seemingly infallible plan not come off? This framing narrative structures a surprisingly busy production: as well as the brothers, Sophie Kean and Abby McCann take on King James I and his chief justice, numerous characters in flashbacks, two actors performing a play about the assassination attempt, and the human personification of rumour. If that sounds messy and difficult to follow it is, compounded by a script overly reliant on exposition rather than dialogue.
This confusion is compounded by several unhelpful directorial decisions. A black-and-white colour scheme is visually striking, but makes it difficult to distinguish the pair’s costumes and work out which character they are playing. A number of these characters have similar voices and mannerisms – this feels like a problem with the production rather than the acting, as when Kean and McCann get their teeth into something they pull it off well. There’s a resonant first-person description of execution (“it’s about to happen, and I don’t think I can bear it”), and the chief justice delivers a powerful monologue about how a nation has been shaped by something which never actually happened.
This political intrigue takes about 40 minutes to arrive, with a priest conflicted on how much to confide to his parishioners, and a letter sent to warn a friend to stay away from parliament. If writing a play is like lighting a fuse and watching it burn down, this particular fuse must have been steeped in thick tar.
The Plot is a more ambitious production than most shows at the Fringe. It’s performed in the round, centred on a massive boulder. Ironwork and rags orbiting the rock cast shadows in the spotlight. Sound and lighting are used to great atmospheric effect, filling the impressive Summerhall Main Hall.
Once the fuse has taken its time to burn down, it’s revealed there’s very little charge to ignite. The play resolves with a whimper rather than a roar. A meandering and overbusy script, dressed in visually striking but insubstantial staging, renders a confusing and forgettable production.
Show Listing: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/the-plot
LISTINGS INFORMATION
Venue: Main Hall, Summerhall
Dates: Aug 6th–31st (excl. 18th, 25th)
Time: 19:30 (70 mins)
Ticket prices: £20 / concessions £17.50
Fringe box office: 0131 226 0000 / www.edfringe.com
Suitable for 12+