EdFringe Review – The Fetch Wilson at The Pleasance Courtyard

The Fetch Wilson is a play that takes you down the alleys of modern Dublin, following the adventures of Liam Wilson, or Bill, as he named himself after meeting another guy with the same name in school. He is a man who’s never quite enough. The other Liam Wilson seems to always be better than him, and he wonders wether sometimes mediocrity is better than being almost great.

As you enter the theatre it feels like you’re entering some dangerous basement in the city’s suburbs. When actor Edwin Mullane enters on stage, and starts his story, it’s like we’re all in a dogy pub, listening to his mysterious tale.

The Story by Stewart Roche is interesting, full of beautiful words and sentences and the Palahniuk and Allan Poe influences are clear. It’s full of description of the events that happen in Wilson’s life, but it always feel more like a monologue written to be read rather than performed. Mullane’s voice is powerful and he uses it very well to convey the nuances of the play. He tries his best to breathe life into the text, but finds little help in the structure of the piece or the sound and light design, with the result that the audience never feel fully connected to the story or the character.

There are various elements that are promising and could be explored further: the idea, the use of words and language, the powerful performance, the play cards hanging from the ceiling. The Corps ensamble is a young company producing courageous work. I am sure that as time goes by they’ll hone their skills and gain more and more experience, and will be able to give full expression to the ideas and themes they’re presenting on stage today.

Company’s website: http://www.thecorpsensemble.com/

Twitter: @corpsensemble16

Facebook: @thecorpsensamble