F*ckboy Fairytales - Edinburgh Fringe Festival (UK)
Reviewed by Justin Clarke
Greenside @ Riddles Court - Clover Studio
50 minutes
Suitability: 16+ (Restriction)
Country: United Kingdom - England
Group: Eleanor Chilton-Sutton
Warnings and additional info: Contains distressing or potentially triggering themes, Scenes of a sexual nature, Strong language/swearing
3.5 STARS
- Just enough heart and humour to leave you optimistic that there’s hope for the aspiring female fuckboys of the world -
Eleanor’s love life unfolds throughout our very eyes in the most “Edinburgh Fringe Venue” you can imagine. We’re placed in a small black box room atop two flights of stairs in a gothic-architectural style pub just off the Royal Mile. It’s a beautiful signal that the Fringe is back!
What is immediately obvious is Eleanor Chilton-Sutton’s relaxed atmosphere as she walks around reading a letter written to her ex-boyfriend. Before long, Eleanor is espousing her journey to beat men at their own game and become, herself, a fuckboy.
Armed with only her words and a knack for storytelling, Eleanor takes us on a journey of sexual discovery, with equal parts racy and tragic results. She’s not in any means perfect at the whole “fuckboy” thing, but she’s damn well trying. Throughout, we’re led through a variety of sexual encounters with men, ranging from short-lived relationships based on mansplaining cryptocurrency, to longer, deeper encounters such as Nick and his “too busy” lifestyle as an actor.
Throughout, there’s an undercurrent of something hidden, something not told. Chilton-Sutton brings this full circle to us at the end of the show in a massive “fuck you” to an aged reviewer who told her that her performance needed “to have a message” to be worthwhile. Well, she delivers. Moving forward from this new material, Chilton-Sutton would benefit from working this thread through more cohesively instead of tagging on at the end.
With such a small space, it can be hard for a performer to fully explore the range of storytelling being told. Chilton-Sutton warms her way into this throughout the story, but could have found magic in the stillness of the space, rather than needing to cross back and forth repeatedly.
By the end of the show, and you’re being handed a flower for your attendance, you can’t help but love Eleanor and be on board for her fuckboy journey moving forward. F*ckboy Fairytales is a gorgeous little find at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and has just enough heart and humour to leave you optimistic that there’s hope for the aspiring female fuckboys of the world.
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