Frank Sent Me @ Underbelly Bristo Square

Review by Christine Lawler | 01 Sep 2014

Em-Lou Productions brings Edinburgh Fringe dark comedy in the form of Frank Sent Me, unravelling the tale of Howe, a mafia enforcer who knows his boss Frank is sending someone to kill him. Expecting only the best of Frank's men to do the job, he is horrified to find a nervous 16 year old turning up at his door.

The play unfolds within the house of Howe and Wallace, the couple of the piece who bicker and nicely set up the domestic aspect of their lives without seeming too obvious about it.

Rob Pomfret as Howe excellently portrays the tough guy who wants to appear as masculine as he can but who has heart underneath it all and is more afraid than he lets on. The brilliantly comedic Matthew Gibbs plays Wallace, who shows how much he cares by fussing around Howe almost in a motherly fashion, however underneath the comedy and glib remarks lies heartbreak at what is going to happen to Howe.

The two actors play this subtly and with real warmth, allowing the story to develop through the casual conversational tone of the script and the emotive undertones of their acting. However there could have been slightly more in that aspect of the performance – at times it feels hard to distinguish whether they were just very good friends as opposed to lovers, especially at the end. As part of the mafia they may not want to show such emotions, however it doesn’t quite pack the punch it could have.

Izaak Cainer adds a new dynamic to the piece as he brings nerves he is trying desperately to hide – at first – and the arrogant air of a boy trying to be a man too soon. Cainer is brilliant in his physical comedy which slides effortlessly into his performance without feeling forced. The comedy of Gibbs through facial expressions adds wonderfully to these scenes.

A warm, funny yet emotional play that really makes you feel for these three characters and makes you wonder what could have happened next.

Run ended http://franksentme.co.uk/