Edinburgh Fringe 2023
Dough
Compagnie du Kaïros / Something for the Weekend
Genre: Dark Comedy, New Writing
Venue: Pleasance Dome
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
A darkly comic drama from internationally acclaimed Molière award-winner, David Lescot. Explore a lifetime through one person’s daily interactions with money, and the transactions we engage in to build a life – from the Tooth Fairy to negotiating with the funeral director. Landing in Edinburgh direct from New York, this fast-paced play sees three actors bring over forty characters to life in one hour. Written and directed by Lescot – associate artist of renowned Théâtre de la Ville in Paris – making his Edinburgh Fringe debut.
Review
Three actors tell the story about one person’s life seeking money, starting from childhood.
Written and directed by David Lescot this play is streamlined and the text moves fast with economy of words and the integration of physical storytelling.
Zach Lusk plays the main character and is present centre stage for the entire one hour play. To his side are two other actors, Matthew Brown and Hannah Mitchell who move up and down stage throughout the show. Lusk successfully anchors the play and story because he is very personable and compelling as he addresses the audience directly. His facial expressions vary from sincere, matter of fact, sarcastic, with a dash of cynicism. He is relatable and we follow wanting to hear what he has to say.
When different people are mentioned, Brown and Mitchell come forward as the characters, speaking to Lusk or in conversation with each other. Both actors are quick to become different characters physically and through their short conversations. This aspect brings humour to the piece and provides an interesting complicity between Lusk’s character and the audience, so we can empathise with what he is dealing with as he focuses on gaining money.
When money is mentioned it is in French francs, which is interesting and adds an international flavour as well as a notice that not having enough money and the search to increasing one’s financial security is universal. The unpredictable storytelling is fascinating and prompts one to reconsider one’s relationship to money, the lack of it and the consequences. However, this is where the play is very focused and I mean hyper focused – on money at every moment. While this is fair given the title of the play, it might be beneficial to hear about other dimensions to Lusk’s character to hold one’s interest. His family is obsessed by money – does he have friends or interests growing up. Indeed there is a welcome shift in dynamic later in the play when girlfriends are mentioned and Lusk’s character can show another side briefly.
Mitchell is successful in her physical characterisations as she changes from mother to girlfriend and others. Brown is very amusing in his several tightly wound characters and could benefit from using more variety and therefore, differentiation in characters and physical choices.
The timing and transitions throughout are spot on and the actors are energetic and committed throughout. Eventually this story goes back to the beginning to see the cause and effect of Lusk’s character’s childhood and it’s affect on his adult life. Told with humour and pathos this is an entertaining play about one man’s life seeking money.
