Seen at Edinburgh Festival Fringe on the 15^th of August 2023

5 stars – Magnificent

Bacon is the story of two teenagers. Mark, an introvert, is new to the school, and doesn’t find it easy to make friends. Darren is bossy and mean, but an unbalanced connection is created between them. This is a story about growing out of adolescence, growing out of toxic love.

Award-winning Sophie Swithinbank wrote this incredible text, which is perfectly built, delicate and violent at the same time. The themes of mental health, child abuse, and homosexuality are woven in a plot made of flashbacks. The protagonists experience all the challenges of adolescence, when everything is difficult, all the more so if the patriarchal system and toxic role models prevent a boy from uncovering (and discovering) himself.

Matthew Iliffe’s direction creates stunning effects in the interaction or non-interaction of the characters, underlying how distant they are despite being physically close. Natalie Johnson’s set design is simple and abstract, perfect to dynamize the piece and at the same time providing visual metaphors of the relationship between the two boys.

The work of the actors – Corey Montague-Sholay (Mark) and William Robinson (Darren) – is flawless. They don’t miss a beat; their interpretation is solid and their strength and tension result in an exasperation of the conflictual relationship between the characters. I dare say they literally cast a spell on the audience.

Bacon is a strong story that should be told and retold. Its unromantic ‘happy ending’ is revolutionary, it changes the mainstream narrative by ascribing mental health a predominant value over the persecution of a painful dream.

Tickets and Info: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/bacon

Company Website: https://www.hfh.productions/bacon

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bacontheplay/