Target Audience at Pleasance Courtyard – Edinburgh Fringe review

Satire set in the high-stakes world of modern screenwriting is increasingly common on our screens. From The Studio to Barry, even The Boys, audiences are well-versed in the absurdity of corporate entertainment. Dan Bishop’s new comedy Target Audience treads this familiar ground, but manages enough bite to keep things entertaining.

The plot centres on a principled, high-minded novellist Tobias (Henry Calcutt) who is brought into the slick UK office of an international TV production company, led by Zuckerberg-lite Angie (James Coward). They want him for a quick day’s script work: naturally, this simple proposition opens a sprawling can of worms concerning ethics, artistic integrity, and modern capitalism. As it turns out, the media conglomerate is structured like a set of Russian nesting dolls – partially owned by parent companies with deep ties to arms manufacturing, shady government backhanded deals and everything of that ilk. Pacifism starts to feel a bit passé.

Bishop’s dialogue highlights the deep hypocrisies and distinct lack of moral integrity floating around the cultural space. The creative process here isn’t driven by inspiration, but dictated by viewer data and algorithms, weaponised by executives to decide what stays, what goes, and who to target. Every few minutes, a new “brief” is brought down from on high. There are patronising assumptions about viewer tastes.

The production is anchored by a sharp, committed four-strong cast: set entirely within a single, high-pressure boardroom, the staging keeps the scenes snappy and light on its feet. Yet, for all its fun and energetic performances (RhéAna Kamalu gets some brilliant one-liners early on), the show skims along the surface without digging much deeper than existing industry satires. It’s a familiar critique of the Amazon-esque streaming landscape, where profit perpetually seems to trump art. Ultimately, Target Audience doesn’t quite break new ground, but serves well as a solid hour in the Fringe fun.