The Historians

I’ve seen several productions at this year’s Fringe that struggle to stand up in dramatic terms, but have won me over with their integrity and clear sense of purpose. Maybe I’m soft, but I’m a sucker for good intentions.

With this Halifax-set character comedy from Katharine Markwick and Susanna Hislop, I found myself faced with another of these misguided but ultimately rather charming failures.

The problem with this devised piece lies predominantly in its lack of originality and subsequent monotony. Its central protagonists, the shell suit-sporting Claire and Donna (aka ‘Chucker’ and ‘Mucker’) undergo an all-too-familiar coming of age, encountering every sub-Jim Cartwright stereotype you care to mention along the way.

Markwick and Hislop make a strong performance team, and there are some timely observations regarding the grass-roots impact of Thatcherism. So while I can’t in good faith recommend The Historians, I can still admire the potential of the company and the way they shine a spotlight on a part of Britain too often in the shade.