Fringe Review: BUGGERS, Upstairs at Pleasance Courtyard
Photo credit: Hazel Gaskin
Buggers is a soaring, volatile piece of theatre. Charting the troubled relationship of artist Francis Bacon (Alistair Hall) and his lover and muse George Dyer (Peter Clements) in the 1960s, Buggers is a kaleidoscopic and tense hour Upstairs at the Pleasance. Sharply scripted, it blends physical theatre and flashes of humour into a taut psychodrama exploring Francis and George’s relationship over the years.
Based on the true complicated story, Buggers begins when the two first meet in a pub in Soho. The atmosphere is electric as the men from very different backgrounds test each other the next morning. The sensuality is palpable and chemistry unstoppable between Hall and Clements who are utterly convincing in their roles. As the performance continues, the relationship darkens and both men hurtle through life at breakneck speed fuelled by substance abuse. Buggers forms a visceral exploration of love and mental health, it looks at power dynamics and the hurt that can be inflicted by those closest to us. All at once, it is a touching, desperate, and sharply witty performance.
The set is littered with glasses of all varieties, and Francis and George are invariably drinking throughout, signalling their addiction and lending to the decay of their relationship. There is a bathtub and toilet, and the show takes place in Francis’ squat apartment in London as he starts to paint Dyer. The dynamic staging pulls the audience into the suffocation of the flat, intensifying the atmosphere as realities start to warp.
As well as capturing the relationship of artist and muse, Buggers is an astute commentary on class in the 1960s and worlds colliding through the pair. The script touches on what it means to be gay in the 1960s, the illegality at the time and repercussions and shame that it could bear. But it is also a window into a subculture of artists and people disillusioned with life and society, and how they exist within that. Wielding these ideas, writer Alistair Hall fuses together a hedonistic but vulnerable show examining the fragility of humans, sexuality and mortality.
A masterclass in stagecraft and acting, Buggers is impossible to look away from. Its magnetic pull is fixating as you are drawn into the allure of the world of artists through this pervasive, manipulative relationship. A breathtaking work of art, Buggers is not to be missed this Fringe.
***** Five stars
Reviewed by: Hannah Goldswain
Buggers plays at Edinburgh Festival Fringe until 30 Aug, with further info here.