★★★
Ned Blackburn’s An Adequate Abridgement of Boarding School Life as a Homo, which arrives at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe following a sold out 2025 tour, promises to be “not a gay tragedy” and “not an epic love story”. Well, I can confirm it is neither of those. Instead it is a witty and pretty honest insight into the life of a queer young man navigating his own masculinity just as much as he is Grindr—even if it is something we have seen before.
The show follows Johnny, played by Blackman himself, who is in his final year at an all-boys boarding school. He still hasn’t quite learnt how to fit the mould and is regularly treated as an outcast due to his sexuality. This is the complete opposite of his classmate and typical rugby lad, Harry, played by Harvey Weed. He is confident, macho and the pair try to avoid a contentious queer-baiting plot line by “shagging all the time”.
Both Blackburn and Weed have charisma and faultless comic timing. They work well together and have a strong rapport. This is showcased during their dance routine to Britney Spears’ ‘Gimme More’. Weed plays a total of five different characters throughout the one-hour show, demonstrating his impressive versatility. Blackburn’s own standout moment has to be during Johnny’s final confrontation with Harry—it really is chilling; kudos to him for that.
Both actors use the stage well too. They work with minimal props and move around the space they are given with ease. The transition of the props is clever and fits well into the narrative. It was refreshing to see the physical movement of the staging complement the acting so well. It didn’t feel fragmented or disjointed.
Despite their strong performances and solid staging, it has to be said that the characters and storyline offer nothing particularly new or exciting. Johnny is a gay character who is under confident and trying to deal with his inner-conflict whilst sleeping with a rugby boy who isn’t gay but “just likes to fuck guys”. Even though this characterisation was done consciously, it is unhelpful and bought into certain fetishized stereotypes that exist within the gay community. The wit remains quick and sharp throughout the show but it also feels as if you are watching the love child of a Carry On Film and the first series of Heartstopper, in the sense that, it is full of camp sexual innuendos and wildly outrageous one-liners that belong more in a 1970’s sitcom than in a piece of contemporary theatre.
Albeit, in spite of an innuendo overkill and unhelpful stereotyping the show is an enjoyable watch. As already established, it doesn’t tell you anything new or exciting but An Adequate Abridgement of Boarding School Life as a Homo is still unapologetically queer and doesn’t shy away from celebrating camp culture, whilst also showcasing the conflict that comes with navigating gay masculinity.
An Adequate Abridgement of Boarding School Life as a Homo will run until 25 August at Underbelly, Bristo Square – Friesian as part of Edinburgh Fringe.
Words by Cory Gourley
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