Debuting at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe is a brand-new three-hander providing 55-minutes of ultimate Scottish patter. Xander Cowan (Buzz), Keiran Lee-Hamilton (Faolan) and Sam Stuart Fraser (Tinny) invite the audience into the front room for an hour of paranoia, rage and an alternative take on friendship and greed.
Written by Sam Stuart Fraser (trained at Glasgow Clyde College and a repeat performer with Reconnect Theatres) and Sean Fullwood, this new perspective on the life of the stoner is hilarious and very Scottish.
Fraser tells us: “The story of “Doped” is an idea myself and Sean had for a long time. We show what can happen to young men left on the outskirts of society – left to fend for themselves. Although Doped is a comedy, the emotions and struggles these characters feel in their lives is all too real.”
Co-writer, Fullwood, adds: “Despite the many difficulties that come with being a drug addict, there is something liberating about withdrawing from society. This hostile world we all share is having an effect on us all. Mental health problems and addiction are sky high. Homelessness is on the rise. Extremism is rising on every side.”
This piece comes at a time when there are riots in England and the Far Right is revolting. Our political parties are in disarray and the establishment smells rotten with scandals and dirty money stories shaming the Conservative party in the last few years. The economic fallout from leaving the EU is impacting society and eroding not only the tarmac on our pot-holed roads, but the mental health of the nation. This play is timely.
The three actors play archetypes to perfection and the casting is spot-on. The hour flies by with moments of normalcy, a sprinkle of ridicule, mad, outrageous indignation and loyalty. The script is very funny. My one quibble would be the absurd shuffle with which Tinny walks. It was distracting and unrealistic. This physical “humour” missed the mark, unlike the rest of the play. It may have been a directorial choice (Pete Sneddon) and, if so, it was his only miss. The entirety was bang on the money!
Actors Sam Stuart Fraser and Kieran Lee-Hamilton both performed in ‘The Grandfathers’ by Rory Mullarkey in last year’s Fringe. The play was honoured with the ‘Bright Spark Award’ by the Scottish Arts Club, which celebrates the brightest rising stars in Scottish Theatre. Alexander Arran Cowan (trained with Newcastle Theatre Royal), performed in the multi-award winning show ‘1902’ at the Fringe in both 2021 and 2022.
Doped is one to see.
Reviewer: Kathleen Mansfield
Reviewed: 2nd August 2024
North West End UK Rating: