The Joker and The Thief ****

It’s 1980, and the Edinburgh International Festival is in full swing.

Larry is a star. He has flown in from the United States to perform five sold-out shows at the 2,000-seat Usher Hall, with royalty and celebrities in attendance.

Meanwhile, across town, the Fringe tries to hang onto the Festival’s coattails – times have certainly changed. Sid is playing in a barely functional basement to a small audience.

Yet it wasn’t always this way. Five years earlier, Sid and Larry had been a successful double act. They parted ways, however, somewhat acrimoniously, and have not exchanged a word since.

Together with his manager Howard, Larry is in his opulent green room, preparing for the show. Then Sid arrives at the door. But he’s choking and Howard attempts a Heimlich manoeuvre; however, it turns out to have been a clowning routine.

Howard is immediately unsettled by Sid’s arrival. It’s clear that Larry and Sid would like alone time to catch up, but it’s equally clear that Howard is most reluctant to facilitate this. The relationship between Larry, the star, and Howard, his representative, is not quite what one might expect: Howard is very much in control.

The production develops with disjointed conversations and fragments of memories surrounding Sid and Larry’s break up, with Howard an active participant. For much of the show, however, it seems that much remains unsaid.

When the full picture is finally revealed, it leads to a riotous denouement.

The Joker and The Thief is presented by Dylan and Will Theatre, following their successful debut last year with Cody And Beau. This new production is a well-crafted, fast paced and funny hour, that explores friendship, associates and shining a light on the darker dynamics of the entertainment industry.

Part of the appeal of this show lies in the nostalgic glimpse of the world 45 years. This was an era in which the Fringe could barely muster any attention, bad suits and ties were de rigeur, mobile phones or internet didn’t exist, and video recorders were an expensive novelty. Dylan and Will Theatre authentically recreate this bygone time.

The performances are all impressive. Rufus Goodman’s Howard is about control and protection – but is he seeking to protect his client or himself? Dylan Kaeuper’s Larry is tentative, seemingly embarrassed by the career chasm that now exists between him and Sid. Perhaps he feels some guilt about the vastly different paths that their careers have taken. Will Grice’s troubled, embittered but still performative Sid, is perhaps the highlight though.

A thoroughly entertaining and poignant hour; Dylan and Will remain ones to watch.

Space – Surgeon’s Hall and then Niddry St – until August 29^th.