Saving Mr Ultimate
Role : Director
Written by John McEwan-Whyte
Produced by Extra-Arca Theatre Company & New Celts
Performed during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2021 at The Space Triplex, Jenner Theatre
Press
André Agius’ direction is clearly paramount in creating all of these layers convincingly and bringing life to John McEwan-Whyte’s beautiful script. Agius has created a powerful production, extremely provocative in its nature but is that not the point of art? It feels very much necessary, as it facilitates a discussion around grief and mental health whilst keeping you entertained and smiling along the way. The difficulty it takes to bring all of these messages out simultaneously deserves for Agius to be given massive credit for what he has achieved in a debut show, with a 1 year theatre-company, in an environment where every acting company will be newly returning to live in-person performances. The show will only move from strength to strength as its run rolls on.
– Mikey J. Tucker Review ★★★★
Saving Mr. Ultimate is a bold piece of theatre. Starting a conversation about suicide is never easy but this show manages to hook it’s audience in and ensure that they hear it out. Stylishly presented, deep at it’s heart and full of top tier performances
This show’s real strength is showing how messy and tiring family life can be, especially in the case where there has been a deep rooted trauma. Paul’s attachment to Mr. Ultimate is displayed towards the close of the show in a confrontation scene. The imagery in this particular scene (I won’t spoil it!) is breathtaking and powerful. Director André Agius should be congratulated for his imagination here in piecing together the show in a way which builds to this moment.
– BingeFringe Review ★★★★
André Aguis has created a production centred around the seemingly endless task of packing the comics into boxes, that is, not surprisingly, action-packed and fast-paced. He brings out the humour, the conflicts and the tragedy. Bound by a script that early on rather overplays the myriad fictional events, the play achieves more resonance in its latter stages. The cast respond to this with sincerity and the real-life issues become increasingly absorbing.
Saving Mr Ultimate is a fun play that quirkily illustrates the veneer that many people place over their lives to hide what is going on beneath the surface. The cast revel in the humour but also dig into the darker depths.
– Broadway Baby ★★★★
Mr. Ultimate’s emporium” is closing, but Paul wants to keep it open in memory of his father, so when his big brother, Barry, says no he has to rely on Mr. Ultimate himself to save it. But Barry isn’t the only one Paul must contend with to complete his mission. Barry’s insufferable girlfriend, Annabelle, the lovesick shop employee Liam, the ever-stressed manager Abbs and crushingly cynical Will form a whirlwind ensemble of characters, each standing in the way of Paul’s goal.
‘Saving Mr. Ultimate’ is a new dramatic-comedy, described as “raw as it is tender, a balancing act beautifully executed by Extra Arca in their electrifying debut show.” The production examines the long-lasting issues that suicide can have on a family’s life, and how our fear of letting go, can be triggered; preventing us from becoming the superhero of our own comic book story.
This was the final production of the MFA in Directing Degree from Edinburgh Napier University.
Cast
Andrew Nimmo
Charlie Devlin
Caitlin Knight
Fin Watt
Scott Renwick
Eleanor McMahon
Crew
Assistant Director – Kate Grimwood
Technical Operator – Winter Reid
Sound Design – Luke Cucciardi
Original Music – Uma Tee (Hearts Beating in Time)
Lighting Design – André Agius
Poster and Programme Design – Francesca Grech (Frannie Gee)