Written, directed and performed by Edinburgh University students, Wild Allegations centres on Matthew John Curtis, adored actor to his fans, liar, cheat and fraud to his brother and girlfriend. The play explores the missteps of their bungled attempts to expose Curtiss true nature, as their scheme to reveal his alleged hypocrisy wraps itself fatally in its own. The play is founded on a trio of strong central performances. Ed Sheridan plays Curtis with a blend of arrogance and anxiety, capturing both the brashness and nervousness of this conflicted character. Paul Brotherston, as Alex, plays a neat counterpoint to Sheridans ease, with a wild-haired, maniacal energy that rails at the supposed injustices inflicted on him by his brother. The emotional heart of the piece, though, is distilled in a perfectly poised performance by Alexandra Wetherell, who as Curtiss girlfriend Theo arcs from blithe rectitude to broken regret. Wetherell plays Theo with a splinter of ice in her heart, offsetting Curtis ebullience with a calm collection which grounds a sometimes frantic piece. Wild Allegations is a model of new writing for enjoyable theatre: it blessedly does not purport to tackle grand themes of love, loss and redemption, but nevertheless approaches its subject with both soul and intelligence. Its writers David K. Barnes and David Leon have a keen ear, and move effectively from monologue to ensemble while keeping the plot hopping along. The play contains several comic set-pieces that belie a background in sketch comedy the Five Pound Fringe ticket price is worthwhile for the classical drama audition alone and a series of cameos by Tom Watret, from irascible news editor to lascivious father-in-law, keep a note of levity flowing through the piece. Any quibbles were minor, and likely to be resolved as the run goes on. Superfluous sound effects distract from (and sometimes render inaudible) the efforts of the actors, and there were, perhaps inevitably, some first-night nerves, which revealed themselves in an occasional lack of confidence in pacing. Many of the plays best moments are the slowest and the quietest, and a greater variety of pace and tone would allow the actors to more fully draw out the colours of the script. In a Fringe increasingly dominated by big-name acts and grandstand venues, it is heartening to see its founding spirit so alive at Bedlam. Wild Allegations is an exemplary piece of new writing and a highly enjoyable hour.
