Written and performed by Alex Hill, this somewhat goofy one man play, fills in the gaps of anti-hero Billy’s life, his childhood friendships and family relationships, through to adult bromances, and eventually the desire to entertain a crowd by blowing some smoke out of his rear.
Alex Hill as Billy is excellent, he gives us a convincing demonstration of sheer bloody-mindedness, thankfully tempered with amusing moments of self-awareness. The Director of the piece, Sean Turner sets a galloping pace all the way, drawing out a very impressive performance.
Some endearing audience participation, done with naturalistic charm, makes it difficult to dislike Billy, who does sometimes seem an absolute boof-head. Through the course of his journey Billy consumes vast amounts of alcohol and other substances, to gear himself up for his game, and at times he employs idiotic abandon, but he never seems unrealistic, there remains a truth and conviction that steers him away from being cartoonish. His character does eventually mature, into a reasonable bloke, but the process is exhausting to watch.
It’s a fun piece of theatre that will appeal to a lot of people who are devoted to their team, whatever the sport may be.
Overall, Hill’s script, so filled with energy, and with plenty of toxic masculinity on display, is very funny. For the minimal yet effective set, a cleverly defined character, a brilliantly energetic performance, a detailed and theatrically enjoyable direction and a nicely resolved story this production gets five stars.
Why I Stuck A Flare Up My Ar** For England is on at Adelaide Fringe until Sunday, 23 March at The Studio at Holden Street Theatres. Get tickets here.
