Day Of The Locust at Pleasance Courtyard Attic Review
Raw. Scrappy. Relevant. Day Of The Locust co-written by Callum Patrick Hughes and David Shopland reimagines Nathanael West’s 1930s Great American Novel of the same title for the stage, rebuilding it with live music and ‘a soundscape of broken dreams and fading stardom.’ Day Of The Locust is presented by Fake Escape as part of their Decade of Fringe season this year, performing at the Pleasance Courtyard Attic.
I will begin by admitting that I didn’t do my homework on West’s novel, this adaptation was my first encounter with the story and characters which remain as incredibly socially and politically relevant today as when it was written in Great Depression America. The story paints a very clear image of broken Hollywood ambition, economic and racial divide on the streets of America and one man’s yearning to be loved, all of which inspires him to begin creating his painting The Burning of Los Angeles at the conclusion of the play. There is a direct comparison to be made between this play and the political and social unrest we are currently seeing on the news in the United States. Following the performance, Hughes commented that the only modern words that had been added to this reimagining were ICE and mobile phones, but all the other language was consistent with the original novel. Hughes and Shopland create a script that pushes audiences to acknowledge the parallels and asses their place within society, making Day Of The Locust an important and challenging addition to this year’s festival.
Hughes’ performance is a standout for storytelling and characterisation. Inhabiting this collection of misfit characters with their own unique physicality and voices paints the stage with the scuffed world and crumbling community of the play. Moving between characters with clarity and pace, Hughes acts as the ultimate narrator of this piece. As I was lucky enough to see in his previous Edinburgh Fringe performances, God Is Dead And I Killed Him (2025) and How Can I Help You? (2024) Hughes has all the command and charisma that can be offered to a strong one man show, keeping the audience in the palm of his hand throughout.
One element that I feel lacked in this production was the inclusion of live music, something Hughes and Fake Escape are known for bringing to their previous work together. The music was co-composed by Hughes and Josh Benfield using electric guitar to score the story with an echoing sound. As we entered the theatre Hughes was using a loop pedal and playing a stripped back and beautifully rustic electric guitar, which was then placed at the back of the stage as the performance commenced and wasn’t touched again until the very end of the show, instead opting to use the loop pedal which wasn’t as visually exciting for the audience. Further use of the guitar in the more tense moments could have really aided the build of the production and offered another layer to the staging that at times could feel slightly static.
Day Of The Locust is running at Edinburgh Fringe at 12:50pm in the Pleasance Courtyard Attic from the 5th – 31st August (excluding 17th & 24th) as part of Fake Escape Theatre Company’s 10th Anniversary Season.
★★★
Written by George for Theatre and Tonic, August 2026.
