A Mighty Fall From Grace

Andy Brown is on top of the world. He is going out with the prettiest girl at college, has a sideline selling Tom-Toms but most importantly his beloved Bradford Bulls are Rugby League World Club Champions, nothing can touch him. This is where we begin A Mighty Fall From Grace, Jake Thompson's self-penned one man show; although as the title of the show suggests the only way from here is down.

Like many sports fans Andy is obsessed with his team and we see how the results on the pitch affect his life off it and as things go from bad to worse for Bradford off the pitch, coupled with life in working class Bradford of the early 2000s we witness the slide downwards of the Bulls and the effect this has on Andy's life, his mental health and the people around him.

I've seen one-person shows at the Fringe this year with plenty of props and stage furniture which add so much to their shows, and others with next to nothing on stage. For the most part all we see other than Thompson on stage is a sports bag but this just seems to work, adding to the sense of emptiness and desolation as The Bulls complete their fall from grace and are liquidated.

This is a story about so much more than Rugby League, Thompson is excellent conveying the highs and lows of the story and barely misses a beat in a performance which is both energetic and also full of anger and emotion. The subject of mental health is dealt with sensitively even in a piece which contains plenty of humour, the line is tread carefully where appropriate and you find yourself rooting for Brown even when he is committing crimes against family and local businessmen.

There will be many shows dealing with themes of mental health at this year's Fringe but if you have even the slightest interest in sport and the obsession it can bring I urge you to go and see this. There won't be many other shows where as well as enjoying the performance, you'll also be able to listen to the wonderful commentary of Ray French!