This is part of a series of shorter reviews from Edinburgh Fringe, August 2024.
Low Bar Theatre return to the Edinburgh Fringe, with their sequel to last year’s production “Five short plays loosely linked by the theme of crime”, “Four more short plays loosely linked by the theme of crime”. Across an hour, four 15-minute plays are presented, each one set in different time periods, and featuring very different characters.
Starring Flinn Andreae, Laura Pujos and Jaz Tizzard, and created by Charles Edward Pipe, this whirlwind of comedy and drama is perfectly acted, and keeps you engaged throughout. The first of the four stories takes us to the Wild West, and the scene of a train robbery, as Andreae and Tizzard’s cowboys hold Pujos’s gentleman hostage, only to end up entering into an underhand deal with him. This is perhaps the weakest of the four shorts, but the stellar acting is more than enough to ease the audience in.
Next up, a reunion of old friends takes a sour turn as they begin to plan the forging of a will to get their hands on the house of a recently deceased landlord. The interplay between the characters is mesmerising, with the gentle teasing and sarcastic comments easy to relate to.
A suburban take on Macbeth sees Tizzard and Andreae as a couple hungry to progress in the world of banking, as they plot to take out Tizzard’s boss (Pujos). When Pujos’s car happens to breakdown outside the couple’s house, and she knocks on their door seeking refuge, the tension begins to build as the couple realise this might be their best chance…
Finally, we are in the East End of London with gangsters Ronnie and Johnny. Andreae and Pujos make for an excellent double act, with Pujos as the straight man and Andreae portraying the idiot, with some superb wordplay on display.
This was a true highlight of the Fringe for me – a spur of the moment purchase that we were happy we made!
Tom Morley, August 2024
“Four more short plays loosely linked by the theme of crime” plays at theSpace on the Mile until 24th August.
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