This Is Not America *****

What does the American Dream look like in 2026? In an era shaped by MAGA, Trump and the relentless influence of social media, the answer has become increasingly fractured. Its pursuit remains a defining cultural touchstone - but some people have different aspirations.

We enter the Pleasance bunker to find a topless and shoeless man, seated and evidently reflective, perhaps troubled.

A dead body is discovered in Brooklyn. Tree identical brothers appear to be persons of interest and are being questioned. As the interrogation unfolds, familial fractures and long-buried conflicts emerge. The initially slow burner of a production gains its footing and shifts through gears to its dramatic conclusion.

While the brothers – Salvador, Cassius and Rocco – may be Identical, their personalities are very different. But the one aspect that unites them is their relationship with Pauly; the mere mention of whose name viscerally gives rise to immediate consternation.

Salvador is the gentler soul, seeking approval, but seemingly consumed by sexual obsession. Cassius is a television actor, egotistical, apparently more confident in his own skin, whose garrulousness occasionally proves to be his undoing. Rocco has had a troubled past, including prison time, and is the quickest to anger.

All four characters are portrayed by Jack Stokes. Having previously impressed in Jesus, Jane Mother and Me, and Shellshocked, Stokes once again demonstrates his abilities and versatility in This Is Not America, delivering a spellbinding performance. He shifts easily and subtly from one character to another, slow reveals emerging with consummate storytelling. Stokes’ physicality at the denouement is startling. His dramatic delivery and moments of comic timing are constantly on point, the directorial choice for him to remain topless ensuring that character shifts necessarily came from within.

The production is written and directed by Philip Stokes, similarly making a welcome return to the Fringe. The writing is powerful and layered, containing oblique references to Rosemary’s Baby.

This is a captivating and compelling piece. While ostensibly an examination of the American Dream, it is the performance of Jack Stokes that will live long in the memory.

Pleasance Bunker Two until August 31^st.