Edinburgh Fringe 2024
Low Down
This is a one person play that everyone should see – especially those who work with creative and industry people in the arts. Bold and clever in intent, writing and performance, Mercy’s Ade tells us like it is and we need to stop and take note. There are highs and lows, humour and pathos in this very human play, beautifully crafted and performed by Mercy.
Review
Described as a comedy drama or a “dramedy” this story is written and performed by Yolanda Mercy and it is certainly a poignant blend of comedy and drama that is very well acted and crafted by Mercy. Using voice overs, direct storytelling and narrating, different characters and a block buster of a story, Failure Project may describe something that didn’t work out but the resulting show that we are watching is very compelling.
To be a writer and to share one’s work is vulnerable and to be an actor portraying their own writing is even more vulnerable. Mercy has found an inspiring way to share a story that may or may not include some of her own experiences as a person of colour who is a playwright and a performer. Striking a moving and realistic tone, Mercy – and Ade, the main character in the solo play, have more challenges in life.
Mercy plays Ade, a British-Nigerian writer who has written a successful play and is being recognised for her writing in a future project. However, after the nerves and excitement of going to meet the people who make the decisions Ade has questions and frustration.
Through a series of monologues Mercy as a storyteller has an enviable ease of performance. Her relatable stories make Ade our friend immediately as she is warm and open sharing anecdotes about her friends and then she becomes them by slight changes of gesture and posture as well as voice, often with different accents. Mercy valiantly brings these stories to life. How does a writer/performer deal with this heartbreaking situation that Ade is experiencing? On top of this an influencer has a lot to do with the situation, so it’s out of Ade’s hands.
Mercy is very effective when imitating the different people Ade comes across, whether it’s her mother, or the ones who put her down and cajole her. Ade talks about how she is pushed into collaborative projects which are taken over by others and how some of this work is paid and much of it is expected to be unpaid. Ade deals with the stereotypes and assumptions against her as she applies for new positions and projects. There is much angst even while Ade is serious about being a writer. Ade’s best friend Toby is a welcome listener and provides Ade with a positive influence and witty, vibrant conversations between the two.
This is a one person play that everyone should see – especially those who work with creative and industry people in the arts. Bold and clever in intent, writing and performance, Mercy’s Ade tells us like it is and we need to stop and take note. There are highs and lows, humour and pathos in this very human play, beautifully crafted and performed by Mercy.
