**** (4 stars)
“Powerfully moving”
How does a boy from Glasgow’s east end brought up in the devout catholic faith go on to become an acclaimed Drag Queen, “Bonnie Oui Laddie” and take Spain’s drag scene by storm? Jon Gerrard McFaulds (JG) Acts of Contrition his autobiographical play comes to the Fringe and delivers a comedy laden and powerfully moving exploration of that journey that sees him confront not only the reality his forced religious belief has on his life but also surviving a truly shocking sexual assault.
Strangely booked into a lunch time slot at 1pm in one of the Fringes longest running venues, The Hill Street Theatre, it’s a gripping hour of well staged and performed drama that played to a pack auditorium of the intimate Dunedin Theatre.
McFaulds turns in a polished and emotionally truthful performance blending the drag comedy elements with deeply personal darkest moments of his life as he discovers not only himself but the world around him coming to the truth that he must be who and what he is on his own terms.
Well directed and beautifully paced it’s a gripping hour of one man’s journey through life and its highly stimulating to see how Catholicism shaped his youth but no longer shapes his future and the reality that we are indeed all products of our life journey is sobering, for all of us there are indeed tears amongst the laughter as we make our way through life.
Acts of Contrition may well be suited to a later slot in the Fringe Day, However it does have a feel of the legendary lunch time sessions, Play, Pie and Pint just minus the two latter elements. It is however a quality hour of drama that may well have life beyond the end the festival. Wonderful stuff indeed.
Acts of Contrition, Dunedin Theatre at Braw Venues @ Hill Street Theatre, Runs until 30th August for more information and tickets go to: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/acts-of-contrition
ScotsGay Arts 