Fringe review: Fuccbois – Live in Concert
With sharp lyrics, absurd choreography and plenty of pelvic thrusts, this funny concert-play takes aim at manufactured pop culture. ★★★★
What a well-played romp through the best (or should that be worst?) of fan culture and toxic masculinity this concert-within-a-play is. It’s the final gig of the final tour of the global phenomenon that is the Fuccbois (as everyone knows, they were put together on The Sex Factor). Hearts will break accordingly as Brendan, Brandon, Tyler and Also Brandan take their final pelvic thrust, grow out their frosted tips and put away the too-high ballad barstools, forever.
From lyrics to dance breaks to facescapes, Bridie Connell’s book and songs and Richard Carroll’s direction misses no opportunities to bring out the very worst aspects of manufactured culture. Yet there’s a clear affection for four young ‘lads’ (Bridie Connell, Clara Harrison, Vidya Makan and Megan Walshe, all having an absolute ball) who, after all, just wanted enough cash to buy their mum a house and enough fame to get themselves a girlfriend. That balance is a shrewd move; boy band fans will enjoy the show as much as those who worry that Simon Cowell is the actual devil made flesh. There are a couple of subplots fighting for space: despite a barnstorming final speech, Orya Golgowsky as Tour Manager Micaela feels underdeveloped, and at least one of the Brendans has a coming-out song in his future (on the subject of songs, Connell’s lyrics are a thing of beauty). But that’s the flip side of a Fringe’s brutal scheduling requirements. We can only hope that an extended remix is on the way and join the Fuccbois in saying instead of being sad that it’s too short, be glad that it happened.
Fuccbois: Live in Concert is playing at The Kingfisher at Gluttony from February 20 – March 21
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