Entering the compact space of the Finborough Theatre, it is difficult to imagine how such a small space can create something so slick yet somehow epic. ‘Bacon’ is a play that somehow straddles between naturalism and breathtaking heightened realism within a matter of lines. With a running time of seventy-five minutes, I don’t think I took a breath the whole time.
‘Bacon’ explores the relationship between Mark and Darren. Two teenagers at school in Brentford. They’re completely different people but somehow have a connection which is just as dangerous as it is joyful. Each of them talk to the audience throughout, but at its heart it is Mark who is telling us his story. A story rich in trauma, shame and failed dreams. It all sounds very bleak, but the characters are littered with hilarious idiosyncrasies and phrases which gives it a real pace. Mark is almost like a more interesting version of Will from ‘The Inbetweeners’. He has hilarious one-liners about the love for his dog Barney and distrust for bullies and detention. Darren is the damaged teen who wears his heart in his fists, but every now again shows a burst of vulnerability.2
