Tom Greaves: FUDGEY

Edinburgh Fringe – Assembly

Going into the theater, we’re all vaguely familiar with the fundamentals ingrained in British institutions, but our exposure to it is usually quite abstract and at a distance. Tom Greaves’ FUDGEY is a comment on the problem at the heart of British private schools and so brings an immediacy and additional layer of understanding to the flawed system within these institutions.

FUDGEY is told in a slightly nonlinear structure as Greaves forces us to make our assumptions about him, before unraveling  the character to show us the how and why of it all. By putting a face to the issue we begin to understand the individual experience a bit more, outside whatever social and culture lens we normally would view it, and throughout the performance we start to realise that the issue isn’t as black or white as we might think. Accompanied by a cast of characters, all perpetuating this cycle in their own way, Greaves presents a psychological analysis that is so pertinent and somewhat horrifyingly visceral, that whilst enjoying the show, we can’t help feeling a little shaken. 

“Greaves’ performance makes the show, and he gets us to a point where we can’t just be bystanders in this.”

If it weren’t for Greaves’ performance, FUDGEY would not be as impactful as it is. He is an enigmatic performer who manages to change personalities before our eyes, completely falling into these characters to the point where they feel real to us. There’s so much in the unspoken that we’re able to glean about them, their roles and experiences within this sense of constraint. There’s a sense of reality that constantly involves us across the 4th wall (supplemented partially by Greaves’ own breaks) that we really feel like we’re a part of the journey as well, and so when Greaves needs us to suspend our disbelief, we’re all too happy to do so. The progression of the character arc from this privileged, childlike, emotionally stunted and generally unlikeable man to well, someone next to normal isn’t imperceptibly gradual – the contrast is quite noticeable- but it’s the messy bits that a difficult to watch that makes us care, because by this point we may not like Fudgey, but we’d be monsters if we didn’t feel for him. Greaves’ performance makes the show, and he gets us to a point where we can’t just be bystanders in this.

It’s one of those shows that doesn’t only make you think, but leaves you with a changed perception of what you thought you knew. FUDGEY is dark, it is difficult to watch at times because we can’t not be emotionally involved. But Greaves tells such an important story that you kind of have to be in order to fully appreciate his masterpiece.

By Katerina Partolina Schwartz