Currently showing at theSpace@Surgeons’ Hall, this musical comedy from Method in Madness Co. is called Bachelors of Fine Arts.
It’s “a dark two-person comedy that roasts ambition gone cultish, institutions that shrug at sabotage because “talent,’ and the noble tradition of smiling through betrayal. Not true crime. Not therapy. Come watch us process publicly and affordably, or… something like that.”
Musicals make more money at the Fringe, the pair tell us early on in the show. So this story of college life and everything that causes angst about it is given a set of tunes that leave you laughing and toes tapping.
Co-writers and stars Riley Elton McCarthy and Hope Johansen play Rory and Holly, who meet at an elite arts college – not unlike the one they attended in real life.
It’s time to take aim at these institutions and the students they attract, but that’s not the only story. It’s about partying, conditioning, and all the things that feel a bit off when you are navigating growing up in a career that is a little odd.
Johansen is American, so draws on this to inform her lively character,sharing her assertion that “everything is untrue” in the show.;Elton McCarthy, who is Danish, is more reserved, their reactions adding a bit of spice to proceedings.
Flip cards add illustration to the show to add context to the story and songs. It is a show that bubbles along with clever lyrics and observations on acting.
As a song cycle, it works well, and the performers clearly know each other well, making their pairing and characterisations feel seamless. The between song dialogue sometimes loses momentum, and a bit disconnected after the mid-point. A major, serious, switch in tone is a shock, but a little lost.
This was taped at a London preview but is essentially the same show as the Edinburgh one give or take a couple of tweaks.
With some useful sound effects and set dressing, Bachelors of Fine Arts captures the pressure on young people to party, drink and sleep around while trying to form friendships, understand social cues, and earn a good degree.
3.5 stars.
Bachelors of Fine Arts is at the Edinburgh Fringe until 29 Aug.