Fringe 25: Unwelcome

Rating: ★★★★

Having been thoroughly impressed by previous shows put on by The University of Edinburgh's Theatre Paradok, I went into Unwelcome with high expectations that were perfectly matched by this thought provoking piece of theatre. Created by Brooke Jessop, who is both the writer and director, Unwelcome perfectly envelops the audience into Andrew’s (Sam MacKinnon) world, creating an immersive setting with its use of set design, acting and central themes. Possessing a short run time of only 55 minutes without an interval, Unwelcome packs a punch. With witty dialogue delivered by lovable characters, combined with serious themes of queer and northern English identity in the 1980s, used by Jessop to weave together an intricate story of love, shame and acceptance.

Featuring only three characters, the plot takes place in one extended scene, focusing on the central character of Andrew as we experience a day in his life in which his perfectly curated lies begin to come apart at the seams and following his family and other close relationships as they discover his queerness and financial hardships. This heartbreaking narrative explores how shame in our own insecurity about personal identity can deeply affect our relationships with others, as well as being detrimental to our own mental health. Once all has been resolved and there are no more lies, Andrew faces his shame head on by coming out as gay to his mother on the phone, ending the play on a beautifully light-hearted note of self-acceptance.

MacKinnon's acting really has a chance to shine in this singular extended scene; he is constantly onstage in the play. From the moment that the audience enters the theatre, he is there, sleeping onstage on the couch, clearly depicting his lifestyle. The strong dialogue of the script combined with Mackinnon’s heartbreaking acting, portraying a deeply personal and relatable performance for any young queer person facing the realities of life, forms the foundation for this play. 

Both Meg Crutchley (Tracy) and Eric Parker (Julian) are strong supporting actors and effectively portray the two sides to Andrew’s character; his northern identity and his queer identity respectively. Crutchley in particular brings a welcome level of humour into the play with her ‘northern attitude’, and Parker plays the role of the loving boyfriend and bewildered southerner beautifully.

The set design of this piece is simple yet effective, portraying Andrew and Julian’s flat as cramped, yet cosy, with a couch centre stage, a dining table stage right, a kitchen area with a kettle and some stools stage left, clothes drying at the back of the stage, and posters featuring iconic stars of the time plastered to the walls, invoking the setting of the play well.

Something that made this play really stand out to me were the political climate and themes featured. They are devastatingly relevant today, with the rise of conservatism and backwards attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community, particularly trans people, from the US and the UK, something Jessop clearly had in mind when creating this play. Unwelcome successfully blends this dark political reality with the uplifting narrative of Andrew’s self acceptance that the play culminates with, creating an overall positive atmosphere, with plenty of space for thought about the deep societal issues that are relevant to this play. My only personal gripe with this piece was that a few times the jump between comedic moments and serious moments was jarring, particularly towards the end of the play; but overall this piece is another one of Theatre Paradok’s gems, and a very impressive piece of writing by Brooke Jessop.