HELLO chums! Just a quick line to alert you to an absolutely ripping yarn that's set to take this Fringe by storm. Boys Of The Empire is a new play by Mr Glenn Chandler – the creator of Taggart – that harks back to the days when Britain could justif
iably call itself Great (because we'd invade any country that took issue with us, obviously).
Set during the aftermath of the First World War, Boys Of The Empire follows the thrilling adventures of four pals – Pyke, Overday, Ascher and Kamal – at St Ethelred's School for Boys. These fine upstanding chaps are played with gusto and verve by a quartet of young actors you've never heard of. Initially you think that their performances are rather over the top but you'll come to realise that they fit the tone of the piece perfectly.
Licking these young chaps into shape is the towering presence of Mark Farrelly as the lads' master. It may seem unfair to single out one actor from such a talented ensemble but we never built an Empire by being fair, did we? Farrelly is simply magnificent as Spartacus Pratt and wraps his silvery tongue around each innuendo with a relish not seen since the heyday of that marvellous old vaudevillian Frankie Howerd.
Anyhow, the lads get involved in all manner of scrapes with gambling and smoking (pipes – they're not the lower orders) and – foreign! – gamekeepers. Eventually they uncover a dastardly plot by a ghastly bunch of terrorists called the Black Circle. What does all this have to do with Britain's occupation of Iraq?
All will be revealed as the show offers two stories for the price of one and also charts the adventures of our brave lads over there. Some might think that this cracking show is drawing parallels with present-day events but balderdash! Would the creator of your granny's favourite show dirty his hands with such socialist tommyrot? I think not!
The whole enterprise is breezily staged with panache and invention by Patrick Wilde – who, as a theatrical is probably a rum sort of cove and prey to all manner of beastliness – but he excels himself here. Well done sir! Bally good show!
• Until 25 August. Today 8pm
The full article contains 380 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
