Foursome

The Fringe has something to offer everyone, no matter how specific their demographic. Foursome, for example, appears to cater exclusively to individuals in their twenties who have exhausted all 72 episodes of Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps and now find themselves turning to theatre for their latest fix of shallow relationship analysis and irony-free, though strangely self-aware, immersion in lad culture.

The play begins in a relatively unconventional manner as two characters discuss the bedroom politics that arose between them and their recently deceased partners. Their exchange is amusingly frank yet tinged with an air of regret sadly lacking in the remainder of the performance. As Foursome embarks on its flashback narrative, depicting the good times had by a pair of immature flatmates and the two 'fit sisters' they fell for, its opening scene appears little more than a refreshingly tactful prelude to what is in essence an unrelenting stream of cock jokes and forced sentiment. While the StoppedClock production boasts some amusing lines, most notably the bizarre assertion that “everybody wanks on planes,” much of its script attempts to recreate the kind of pedestrian 'banter' mates have in pubs every weekend.

Consequently, the play feels lazy and tossed off. At one point we are shown an actor's penis in a bid to elicit laughter while at another, a character, who fears he may be perceived as homophobic, insist that he loves gays... but not in that way! While much of this material is lapped up by a packed house, all nodding their heads in recognition, one must question their logic in paying to witness such a trite and uninspired piece.