Review: Bobby and Amy (rating 5/5)
This is one of those plays that shows why a five star review at the Fringe is hard to achieve because it sets the bar so high that others will struggle to follow.
Emily Jenkins’ superb script is set in a Cotswold town in the 90s where two outsiders, Bobby and Amy, meet and become friends, taking on the world around them including their own dysfunctional families and the village cool kids who are more like a cross between Vicky Pollard and Catherine Tate in her ‘Am I bothered’ persona.
The first half establishes the long-standing farming community in which Bobby and Amy grew up, before the second half shows how easily and swiftly the community is devastated by foot and mouth disease that leads to the closure of the farm and the loss of most of the things that have defined the town for as long as anyone can remember.
Kimberley Jarvis and Will Howard play all 21 characters with no set or costume changes. They switch effortlessly between the different roles, capturing their accents, attitudes and mannerisms and never stopping for breath.
It’s a testament to their tremendous acting ability and to the writing and Emily Jenkins who directs the play with an enthusiasm and clarity that shows she understands perfectly the world she is bringing to life and can do it full justice with just two people. Even the more obnoxious and unpleasant characters become people you feel you know and can understand.
Bobby and Amy has been getting rave reviews and playing to sell-out audiences. The hype about the play is fully deserved, excellent from start to finish and one of the must-see shows.
Pleasance Courtyard until 26 August
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