Review: Whatever Happened To That Guy? (Pleasance Dome, Edinburgh)

Review by Seth Wilby

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

In 2008, A-Lister Guy Wesley disappeared. Except he didn’t, because Guy Wesley isn’t real. He’s the creation of theatre company Maybe You Like It, who return to the Edinburgh Fringe following the sell-out success of last year’s Down to Chance with a brand-new, multi-rolling, original comedy caper all about celebrity culture and the knotty mess of the morality within lying. And the result is Whatever Happened To that Guy?, which might just be one of the most compelling and creative comedies at the fringe this year.

The premise is surprisingly complex- failing author Bee Leigh, along with her brother and sister-in-law, seek to trick her publishers into a £10 million advance on the (fake) memoir of celebrity recluse Guy Wesley. Yet, since Guy stepped away from public appearances decades ago, they choose to construct an autobiography based only on truths gained from interviews, witness accounts, and Reddit threads. With so many layers threaded within the plot, it’s a miracle that the show finds time to be funny, yet Caleb Barron’s script lays it all out in such a remarkably clear and simple way that we don’t even realise how much information we’re absorbing.

Loosely inspired by pre-existing stories about literary hoaxes and celebrity disappearances, Barron has crafted a genuinely compelling and interesting story, and then chosen to tell it in such a delightfully artful way that’s perfectly suited to the fringe. Always maintaining a genuine understanding of our characters, which grounds the action, the effortlessly funny script is also littered with laughs created seamlessly from the authenticity of little interactions and the clash of some larger-than-life personalities.

Primarily seeking to entertain, the script also offers a slight candidness, with commentary on legacy and the extent to which a lie could actually be benevolent, providing some interesting room for thought, with a deliberately ambiguous ending tied up quickly yet neatly and earning a worthy heartfelt payoff. One particularly striking revelation is dealt with sensitively and sincerely, taking the comedy to a natural (albeit brief) pause to deepen the narrative and focus on an important topic.

Bringing this concept to a vivacious life are Ellie Cooper, Robert Merriam, and Maggie Moriarty, who excel at multi-rolling to maximum effect. Transformatively shifting their performances between authenticity and exaggeration, their performances have an inbuilt exuberance while still paying attention to the detail of small nuances, which is necessary to ensure such a multi-faceted, fast-paced show remains both tangible and uncomplicated. When performing as our central trio, they feel passionate and relatable, which shifts into an extravagant grandness as they each take on the role of Wesley, with many more comic personas explored throughout, to great effect.

Representing an excellent collaboration between cast and writer, they’ve created a naturally funny play, with a hilarious cast landing every beat through tailored timing and a very strong chemistry. It feels like the cast are having fun on stage, and that joy radiates fluidly into the audience, all while making sure they never neglect the satisfying narrative at the core. Barron also directs, having tailored the art of multi-rolling to a seamless balance between humour and intricacy. The limited set is used with brilliant creativity, effortlessly shifting us from place to place, and one particular sequence (depicting a montage of Guy Wesley films, featuring parodies such as Unreasonable Doubt and Spielberg’s The Archaeologist) is gut-bustingly funny. 

Creative, witty and entertaining, Whatever Happened To That Guy represents exactly what a fringe show should be, with both cast and creatives excelling at crafting a compelling narrative within an ingeniously funny production guaranteed to leave you beaming. A sensational fringe triumph, I cannot wait to continue to see work so thrillingly original from Maybe You Like It.

Whatever Happened To That Guy? plays at Pleasance Dome (Ace Dome) at 14:40 until 31st August. Tickets from https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/whatever-happened-to-that-guy

Photos by Ali Wright