DugOut returns to the Fringe with this new devised show, about a group of small town nobodies, who take on the local property-mogul casino owner Mickey, to save their favourite local boozer “The Sunset”. Punctuated by slick music and lightning fast movement sequences, The Sunset Five is exactly the sort of show you want to fill your days with at the Fringe.
This is Danny Ocean and his team, on speed and transported to East Anglia. The cast sit at the back of the stage and provide musical accompaniment and underscoring for the majority of the show when they’re not in character – led by our “MC” Fred (Luke Murphy). Murphy also provides sound-scapes, ingeniously using a loop pedal to fill the room with sounds of difficult to create settings, especially in a venue like this. The cast play every instrument from the acoustic bass to the flute – and the blending of both voices and instruments throughout the whole piece is as good as any show I’ve seen at the Fringe.
Special mention must go to Katy Daghorn as Charley, our ingénue and leader of the pack, who gives one of the best performances I’ve seen this year at the Fringe – there was never a moment when she wasn’t the most comfortable person on the stage, and her voice is a good as her comic timing. The rest of the cast work slickly and cleverly, pulling off major feats of physical theatre with panache and grace. Tom Black’s Hugh is a masterclass in buffoonery and Celia Dugua’s design is perfectly pitched for the space and style. I only feel the ending of the show lacks the big finish these guys deserve, musically or physically, but this is a very small chink in their otherwise faultless heist.
This is a show with a whole lot of heart – about the underdogs stickin’ it to the man and winning – with perfect pace and style to boot. I challenge anyone going to see it, not to come out full of energy and smiles – exactly what you need to keep yourself going at the Edinburgh Fringe. 5/5
Review written by Sam Clay.
The Sunset Five is currently showing at the Pleasance Dome as part of this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival. For more information on the production, visit here…
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