Most would agree that a string quartet depicts the epitome of style at any event. Four, written By Clé Holly and directed by John Coppola, follows the fortunes of a fairly successful string quartet named ‘Renowned’ who are still reeling from the loss of their first violinist.
Roger seems to be mourning Leonard’s passing the most, and there’s conflict between him and their new manager Hassim, who’s happy to book them into anything and everything for a hefty cut of the fee. Leonard’s replacement comes in the form of Kiki who seems to have a romantic spark with Vinnie, but like so much of the plot, this fails to go anywhere.
Four is billed as a play with music, but there’s not nearly enough of the latter. When it does come it’s in very short bursts, and that’s a real shame because it does sound great – whether it’s classical music or a little Beyonce (we’re not sure why either) it was clear how talented the musicians were.
That talent however, does not extend to the acting. The performances are stilted and awkward with the actors mumbling into their chests, there’s a character not even mentioned in this review because I was unable to decipher the character’s name on any of the occasions it was spoken. The unenthusiastic delivery does not help the lacklustre script that has so much going on without really delving into any of it.
Perhaps the most frustrating thing is that in a play called Four, about a string quartet, only two of the cast actually play an instrument, while the rest simply mime. To make things worse, the short scenes means lots of shuffling on and off stage, it feels like the longest forty-five minutes you’ll spend at Fringe.
There’s about ten minutes of really lovely music to be heard in Four but there’s nothing else about this play that works. The dull script and even duller acting makes this less of an Ode to Joy and more Broken Wings.
