Returning to the Edinburgh Fringe after a string of critically acclaimed successes, writer Philip Stokes brings us his most fearlessly ambitious work yet. This Is Not America, billed as “a razor-edge new play to start your day”, won’t just start your day. It will leave you haunted for the remainder of it.
The polarisation of America is never far from the news cycle. The rise of the far right dominates headlines, and high-profile crimes continue to capture the public imagination in much the same way the Menendez brothers did in the early nineties. Philip Stokes uses that backdrop as a starting point, but what unfolds is far more complex and unsettling than a straightforward political drama.
Three brothers stand accused of a crime. The satanic symbols scattered around the stage suggest something sinister long before the details emerge. Carlos, Rocco and Salvatore are being questioned in what we are led to believe is a homicide investigation. Later, a fourth brother, Paulie, enters the picture.
Each brother arrives overflowing with confidence. Cassius craves attention but balances it with an easy charm. Rocco can barely contain his aggression, boasting constantly about the size of his dick and asserting dominance at every opportunity. Sal appears the gentlest of the trio, but his compulsive womanising quickly strips away any sympathy he might otherwise earn.
What makes the production extraordinary is that all four brothers are portrayed by a single actor.
Jack Stokes, who has consistently impressed since making his Fringe debut, delivers what can only be described as one of the most electrifying performances in Edinburgh this year. He commands the stage with astonishing confidence, shifting almost instantaneously between the brothers. Each transformation feels complete, with distinct vocal patterns, physicality and attitude creating the illusion of multiple performers sharing the stage.
Bare-chested throughout, Stokes possesses a remarkable ability to hold the audience’s attention. His American accents are flawless, to the extent that several audience members audibly gasped during the curtain call when he revealed he was actually from Leeds. More impressive still is the precision with which he differentiates each character, ensuring there is never a moment of confusion despite the technical demands of the piece.
In this interrogation scenario, it gradually becomes clear that we are not merely observing the proceedings. We are participants in them. We are the investigators. Stokes ensures the brothers look directly at us, challenging, flattering and manipulating us in equal measure. The effect is hypnotic, drawing the audience deeper into the mystery while making them complicit in its unfolding.
Philip Stokes has written a play unlike anything he has previously brought to the Fringe. What begins as a gripping psychological thriller steadily reveals itself to be something darker and more devastating. Layer upon layer is peeled away until assumptions begin to collapse, and the story reshapes itself before our eyes.
The final stretch of the play is extraordinary. When Jack Stokes becomes Paulie and delivers a performance of such emotional clarity that every line lands with terrifying force, the atmosphere inside the room shifts completely. I felt my blood run cold as the full extent of what was unfolding became clear.
This Is Not America certainly echoes contemporary anxieties about modern America, but it is far too intelligent to settle for easy political commentary. Instead, it digs beneath the headlines and explores something far more disturbing: the myths people build around identity, masculinity, power and family. What emerges is both deeply American and universally human.
In a Fringe programme overflowing with work competing for attention, This Is Not America stands apart through the sheer confidence of its writing and performance. Philip Stokes has crafted a thriller that continually wrong-foots its audience, while Jack Stokes delivers a performance of astonishing skill and control that ranks among the very best on offer this year. Riveting, disturbing and impossible to shake off, This Is Not America is not only one of the strongest dramas at this year’s Fringe, but one of the most memorable.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
