Death is the New Porn

Aug 24 2014 | By More

✭✭✭✩✩   Adrenaline pumped

theSpace on North Bridge (Venue 36) Sun 3 – Sat 23 August 2014

Intense and driven student company, Blazing Hyena (in association with New Celts Productions) stage a thoroughly professional production of Death is the New Porn at theSpace on the Bridge.

A scene from Death is the new Port. Photo: Blazing Hyena

A scene from Death is the new Porn. Photo: Blazing Hyena

Three self appointed vigilantes take it upon themselves to take revenge on behalf of people who have suffered violent crimes. Bound together by their increasingly addictive murderous hobby, eventually the strain begins to show on the friendship between the young trio, and the fall-out provides the drama.

The acting is energetic and full of brio; the four young graduates’ skills are already finely honed. Rosie Milne takes on both the roles of the glamour girl wife having an affair with a bit of rough stuff and the reformed alcoholic mother. She manages both roles with skill. Kate Foley-Scott is captivating as Nina, a young woman, who has taken a few too many wrong turns and ended up embroiled with committed murderers.

testosterone with an itch

Rory Speed is almost endearing as Michael, the young man, who has convinced himself rationally that killing is the right thing to do. But while the whole cast displays an unusually high standard of performance, Jack Elliot as Tom is exceptional – testosterone with an itch, he propels the play along a hurtling trajectory.

In spite of the plot’s unlikely premise, there is some fine writing with sharp and pithy dialogue. It doesn’t really get to grips with the issues that lie at the heart of the plot, however, and finds too-easy explanations. It would achieve more intensity with some tight editing and reducing the running time. That said, it provides much entertainment and some rounded characters for the actors to explore.

Well-paced direction from Ian Dunn covers up some of the unconvincing plot issues. Lighting and sound from Alex Card and Olivia Li made a substantial contribution to the performance.

While this production may try to do too much, what it does achieve, it achieves extremely well, which makes for a thoroughly entertaining experience. It’s a talented company – and its members are certainly ones to watch out for in future.

Runing time: 1 hour 20 mins
theSpace on North Bridge, EH1 1SD  (Venue 23)
Sun 3 – Sat 23 August 2014 (odd days only)
Daily (odd days only): 18.45
Tickets and details from: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/death-is-the-new-porn

ENDS

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