EDINBURGH 2023: Review: BACON, Summerhall

In Sophie Swithinbank's award-winning Bacon, friendship and love are inextricable from danger, anger, and hurt. It's a play that lives on the boundaries, the scales constantly tipping - literally, as the set takes the form of an oversized seesaw. 

Fresh from two hit run London runs, Bacon follows nerdy new kid Mark (Corey Montague-Sholay) and school badboy Darren (William Robinson) as their paths cross and both of their lives are irrevocably altered. Their interactions are at first predictable - some all-too familiar bullying - before the tension between the pair pulls them in entirely unexpected directions. 

The driving force of the show are the two powerhouse performances. Both actors are intensely compelling, transforming their voices and body language with such skill and control. But there's real passion among the mastery, and real chemistry. Montague-Sholay as Mark is immediately likeable, conveying a heartbreaking narrative of trauma while maintaining an inner strength throughout. As the more violent Darren, Robinson does a spectacular job at making us care about a character who on paper we should hate. Bacon is an absolute masterclass in acting for the stage.

Set Designer Natalie Johnson’s huge seesaw is a perfect example of how to transform a show with one simple set piece. Matthew Iliffe’s direction sees the actors swiftly rising and falling at key points in the story, meeting in the middle in moments of tension. Sections of the play where two scenes take place at once are brought to life with an intelligent sense of parallelism, drawing out the script’s full potential.

And what a script it is - Swithinbank dives headfirst into the rough, the ugly, the gasp-inducing and the hard-to-watch. Bacon is gripping from start to finish, while still maintaining moments of comedy and levity. Particularly engaging is the scenes of overlapping dialogue, giving the play a powerful sense of rhythm and drawing surprising parallels between the characters. The little details of everyday life at an English state secondary school keep this hard-hitting script grounded in reality. Both characters fit into archetypes we’re all familiar with - everyone had a Darren-type bully at their school - before subverting our expectations and fleshing Mark and Darren out into unique people that we care for. The writer unpacks masculinity and sexuality with hugely impressive perception and precision. 

For a play so - well, upsetting - it’s clear that immense care has been taken to stop it doing more harm than good. Fight and Intimacy Director Jess Tucker Boyd has done a fantastic job, and the paper programme offers links to resources for those affected by the show’s issues. 

Bacon is a must-see of this year’s festival - trek up to Summerhall and brace yourself. 

Bacon runs at Summerhall as part of Edinburgh Festival Fringe until 27 August, and then at Bristol Old Vic, 12-16 September.

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