EDINBURGH 2017 - Review: THE F WORD, ZOO

Sick to death of reading plays aimed at 16-25 year olds written by writers 40+, Conor Hunt has created this story of the millennial child, giving his own personal reflection on what it's like to grow up as a product of the Nineties.

Created by and for a company of under 25s, this BBC Writersroom long-listed play is a moving drama exploring the uniqueness of the teenage experience, and a sensitive insight into how we remain positive when all the odds are stacked against us.

Jacob has come off the chemo. He's been given six weeks, the same duration of the summer holidays, except he won't be going back after this one. Along with his best mate Tommy he plans a funeral party filled with balloons and bunting.

Jack Tricker's performance as the dying Jacob is a brave one. Without holding anything back, he puts a lot of work into showing the character's struggle. Tricker's pain is believable, and the connection between him and Tommy, played by Evan Rees, is incredibly intense.

However, at times the performers are too dramatic and the tragedy is over-performed, losing the tenderness the play has worked towards building. Random outbursts of pain have the potential to make more of an impact, if only it was executed in a more subtle way.

Conor Hunt's script is quick-paced and full of wit, leavening what could have easily been a heavy viewing experience. Innuendo-laden sound clips of The Great British Bake Off are used, and there is a lot of joking around between Jacob and Tommy.

Advertised as a comedy, The F Word is so much more than that. Exploring the fragility of our closest relationships, the play places focus on how we react when we're at our most vulnerable. All we want is to have someone to hold, touch, love, but what happens when that person isn't going to be there anymore?

The play isn't about grief, but about celebration of life. It teaches you to take each day moment by moment and to cherish those we have around us.

A few little tweaks are needed on the dramaturgical side, but The F Word is an important piece that provides a platform for young men to talk about their poor health. It allows audiences to see that showing vulnerability is accepted, despite society sometimes mocking us for doing so.

The F Word ran at Zoo until 28 August

Photo Credit: Thomas Compton

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