Fool’s Gold is a comedic play from the Agents of Chaos Theatre Company, lasting an hour. It is currently being performed in Space 1 at theSpace on the Mile venue, and will later be moved to theSpace @ Surgeon’s Hall.
One night, paranoid grave-robber (or, “covert excavator”), David (Ben Whittle), is joined unexpectedly by a new assistant (unnamed and played by Malcolm Webb), who stands no chance of matching David’s level of professionalism, leaving him more than displeased about his rather strange novice trainee for the night. The two of them start working together, but much to David’s annoyance, constant distractions continue to disturb them, including the training of an ultra-marathon runner (Alec Osborne), and a ghost (Edd Pullen). Not only that, but it seems like there is a lot more going on beneath the surface of David’s organisation than he is aware of.
Whittle and Webb have fantastic chemistry throughout all of Fool’s Gold. Whittle presents David as highly strung and stressed, gradually charting the character’s descent into madness as the night progresses and they lose their composure. Webb excels at doing the opposite in a way that is hysterical for audiences watching. David and his assistant are complete opposites, and it is within this comparison that much of the humour is rooted.
Much of Webb’s acting is very over-the-top and melodramatic, and every detail that is revealed about the character’s life is both bizarre and hilarious. Webb plays the assistant in a way that makes it appear that even the character isn’t sure what he’s going to say next, which is sure to keep audiences on their toes.
The introduction of Pullen’s character is shocking and hilarious in equal measure, and the performer fits in perfectly with Whittle and Webb’s dynamic. Pullen’s exaggerated facial expressions are a highlight of this performance, and will leave you in stitches.
Fool’s Gold is a light-hearted rollercoaster of hilarity, which will leave audiences bemused and unsure of where the plot is going next. It is highly enjoyable and well worth fitting into your Fringe schedule this year.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
