Bluffstone is Starvin’ – TheSpace on the Mile

With its large ensemble of eight performers, including three musicians, Bluffstone is Starvin’ is a compelling but imperfect tragedy set against the familiar backdrop of the Wild West.

Each actor brings something unique to the table and every performance is distinct and effective. The standout for me was Zachary Hodges, who plays the unhinged bartender Jim (and who also doubles as an instrumentalist, and who composed the original music for the show). Hodges brings a wide-eyed, frenetic energy to the performance that makes the character instantly loveable and memorable. It would have been great to learn more about this character, but with five other characters demanding attention in this 60-minute play, not all of them can be equally fleshed out. Many of the performances do seem a little hampered by the fake Wild Western American accents, and the inclusion of a character with an English accent made the American accents even less convincing by comparison. As a result, some line deliveries occasionally read as self-conscious and hesitant. However, aside from the accents, the cast had great chemistry together and played their parts with nuance and heart.

The plot follows the interlinked lives of various residents and visitors of the town of Bluffstone sometime in the mid-late 19^th-century. As a drought and subsequent famine threaten the town, a tense web of love and desire emerges between various members of the community and outsiders. The script combines well-known Western tropes and cliches with a plot akin to a Shakespearean tragedy. After setting up and fleshing out the various characters and their motivations, the plot builds to a satisfying, tragic conclusion. Cornish’s script carefully presents a variety of different masculine archetypes, and dissects the differing ways in which they approach the world. There are certain plot elements that could have been foreshadowed earlier and more effectively, such as the duo of drifters being the only people in possession of guns. Other parts of the story require some suspension of disbelief, such as the fact that no one aside from the town’s singular farmer notices the famine for so long. For the most part, though, the play is effective as an engaging, plot-driven exploration of masculinity.

Elements of dark comedy keep the play from feeling too bleak. A handful of the sillier jokes stand out as being incongruous with the rest of the play. For example, the inflatable horse – which appears in only one scene – is vastly at odds with the more grounded tone maintained throughout most of the rest of the play.

The live band underscores much of the play, often to great effect. At its best, this music seamlessly blends into the background, reinforcing the setting and mood without drawing attention away from the actors. The ragtime piano duet played during every scene in the saloon is the perfect example of this. At other times, the music can be distracting, especially when it veers into more anachronistic genres such as boogie-woogie or jazz. There is no doubt, however, that the musicians are talented and the pieces well-written; even if the music is distracting at times, it is never unpleasant to hear.

Overall, Bluffstone is Starvin’ is a very enjoyable, darkly humorous Western tragedy. The large cast and live music set it apart from many other shows at the Fringe. With some polish and a little more focus on maintaining a consistent atmosphere, this play could be excellent.

Bluffstone is Starvin’ runs until 13^th August at theSpace on the Mile with tickets available at https://www.thespaceuk.com/

Reviewer: Charles Edward Pipe

Reviewed: 4th August 2025

North West End UK Rating: