Despite the University-production origins of Thomas Eccelshare & Dan Mansell's new play, Brick Walls, there is absolutely nothing amateur about their show currently playing at the Smirnoff Underbelly.
The plot is based on a relatively simple premise - two men are building a house, and they forget to leave a gap for the door - with them still on the inside. To relieve the monotony of their self-made prision, the two have developed a series of increasingly complex games and routines to pass the time. This eventually leads to the creation of a third playmate from the building debris, but this inanimate character isn't as willing to take part in their fun.
Fringe regulars will recognise Eccleshare from his tremendous performance in last year's Macbeth The Hour. Mansell and Eccleshare together give a perfectly synchronised performance, flowing between powerful drama and physical theatre with the fluidity of mercury.
This pair are not afraid of long periods of silence - the gaps heightening the tension within the walls and underlining the reasons for their bizarre time-killing routines. With clever writing and strong performances, this makes for a definitive Fringe show.
