Edinburgh Fringe 2016
Wasted
Cambridge University Amateur Dramatic Club
Venue: Greenside at Infirmary Street
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
We meet Charlotte, Danny and Ted who have got to the point of mourning the loss of their friend Tony, as well as the loss of their youth and the opportunities to be more than what they have become; it’s a night out of being out of sorts.
Review
Wasted is a standard text now that I have seen a couple of times. When any text becomes a bit of a standard companies start to delve into it more and this is what CUADC have done here. We get the 3 characters but each of the 3 actors takes turns in playing them. It makes for slightly confusing watching though Tony is on hand as the narrator. He reads out stage directions so we don’t get confused by the lack of set.
It is a bold step to take this on and then a bolder one to do what they have done. Whilst commending their approach it does leave you a little confused at times. Having men playing women and in reverse is hardly new and radical but the story, the message needs to be kept clear – it’s what the playwright intended for you to come and understand. Having seen the piece before I was able to jump parts and feel I was not being lost in it but I did wonder about my fellow audience members.
In terms of the acting it was patchy. Not being able to point out which actor played which character makes it difficult to pin point where and who and when but some of the duo pieces suffered from a lack of intensity. What did work very well was the choral pieces; that shone through.
The set, with a nod to Becket with the tree and the sparse nature as well as reading the stage directions was also good.
This is a company who carry a name that suggests a pedigree but they should only be judged on what was onstage. On that basis it was a very decent show that should have people coming to see what they have done with their approach to the text. Theatrically worthy, it did leave me with a sense that they knew what they were talking about – even though they were far too young to have suffered such disappointment – that in itself is no mean feat.
