Everything Theatre Reviews, interviews and news for theatre lovers, London and beyond
Army @ The Fringe – Drill Hall
Edinburgh-born Paul Boggie, impersonated by Tony McGeever, shares his story of hope from being a heroin addict to becoming a royal guard.Summary
Rating
Excellent
There’s no suspense in Paul Boggie autobiographical play, nor unexpected twists in the plot. “If you’re expecting some glamourised drug story like Trainspotting, you can fuck off back to the city centre” – utters Tony McGeever in the opening scene – a stroke of directorial genius by Yassmin Foster.
As well as co-writing the play with Boggie, McGeever also voices Boggie on stage. The title is quite self-explanatory; the Edinburgh-born protagonist became addicted to heroin in his twenties and, less than a decade later, managed to turn his life around to become one of the Scots Guards protecting the Queen at Buckingham Palace. What we get to discover during the hour we spend together is how he got himself in that mess and, more importantly, how he came out of it. No need for dramatisation when the aim of the play is to inspire by telling the truth; “If I manage to save at least one life…” – we hear him saying.
A shy boy, Boggie strived to get his father’s attention, didn’t kiss a girl until he was eighteen, and always conformed to the pack. The only time he didn’t, his friends stopped hanging out with him and, when they caught up again, he found them all “chasing the dragon” – code for taking heroin. So, he did as well, to stay with the pack and reject loneliness. It took him seven years, thirteen relapses and a serious suicide attempt to become clean, thanks to a therapist who retrained the connections within his subconscious.
The language is coarse and unapologetically honest. McGeever’s eyes flood with tears on more than one occasion. In front of us are the emotions of a man who’s witnessed life approach its final stop twice – and both times managed to divert its course. If he’s done it, then anyone else can. And his top tip if things aren’t working out? Simply change the way we look at them.
Written by: Paul Boggie & Tony McGeever
Directed by: Yassmin Foster
Produced by: Ameena Hamid Productions
Heroin to Hero plays at EdFringe 2022 until 28 August, 7.15pm. Further information and bookings here.
