Fringe Factory Review #6

Les Miserable Old Guys

 

The play, Les Miserable Old Guys, is a sweet and endearing play about two old neighbours who share a fence, a friendship and a conversation.  The story is quaint… about love, loss and loss of mind.  For those regular theatre and movie goers, the play is a bit too reminiscent of Grumpy Old Men and/or a Prairie Theatre Exchange afternoon play.  Yet, it’s certainly not Jack Lemmon and Walter Mattau who take the stage.  Okay, for a Fringe play, the two actors do an okay job…. One does a bit better than the other.  The crotchety old man plays the part nicely, but his counterpart seemed somewhat awkward with his lines at moments.

All in all, the story presented is entertaining enough.  The themes of love, loss and friendship are peppered with an appropriate amount of comedy.  The grumpy counterpart does a good job of using his messy back lane as an easy excuse for not dealing with his wife’s recent death.  However, as the conversation unfolds, his neighbour subtly forces him to confront his loss, along with his deepest fears.  This is accomplished in a semi-humourous manner.

If you’re looking for something to slot in between a few Fringe plays, this would be an ideal pick.

Here’s my rating:

  3 / 5 factories