Fringe Review: CAMPITALISM, THREE GAYS TRY TO FIX THE ECONOMY, Attic at Pleasance Courtyard
Photo credit: Amy Lauffer Neff
“2008 was the best year to be alive!” Chant Brian, Brian, and Brian softly as you enter Attic at the Pleasance. It’s economy fixing time at a conference that the trio of Brians are leading - you’ve got your tie on (there’s one on your seat, you’re in there now - this is it), time to learn how to get rich. A riotous hour from BOY Theatre brings us the blisteringly satirical Campitalism: Three Gays Try To Fix The Economy as we are delivered some cold hard stats, our daily Huel, and not much in the way of actually solving the problem.
The three Brians sit opposite the audience representing all that is great about capitalism: their need for money, their dismissal for basic moral values, and of course their leading advice, simply: “Don’t be poor”. Underneath the caps and ties of the three Brians are the three gays, Maria Telnikoff, Kit Miles and Cherry Eckel, hoping to pull back the curtain on the financial world. A rollicking hour, the audience do not stop laughing as the parodied finance bros gain unprecedented heights of madness. Whip smart Campitalism: Three Gays Try To Fix The Economy aims to capture the nature of the rat race through the very men that work there. Featuring cocaine, chaos and absolutely no minorities, diversity, LGBTQIA+ or – heaven forbid – women whatsoever, the Brians are here to educate.
Telnikoff, Miles and Eckel perform with utter conviction as they ridicule the world we live in. Whilst hilarious, there is an acute sting to the humour as the audience acknowledge just quite how bad things are. Through multimedia clips, all of our favourite notorious celebrities and politicians are brandished to delectable comic effect, with impeccable timing during the show.
It is an intelligent piece, somehow sandwiching in pockets of reality that ground the performance and then springing back to the usual nonsense. With the stage as their playground, BOY Theatre reach impressive heights of delirium whilst simultaneously simplifying CDOs, MBSs, CDSs, and how to escape a HR summoning. A blizzard of fun, Campitalism: Three Gays Try To Fix The Economy is truly a feat of comedy.
Blending both satire and stark reality, and being utterly compelling from both angles makes Campitalism: Three Gays Try To Fix The Economy an eyewatering watch. From breakneck speed tomfoolery to occasional considered dialogue, the performance does it all, and it does it all with sheer brilliance. Anyway, less of that, back into the millionaire mindset.
***** Five stars
Reviewed by: Hannah Goldswain