Full of calamity and occasional laughs, Four Felons And A Funeral is a musical which packs a political punch with its all-queer cast. Brought together by grief and love triangles, the show follows a road trip of four young people as they venture to Dublin to scatter their friend’s ashes.  

Despite its familiar premise, the piece offers uniqueness in its character-driven narratives. The strongest comes when Saz, a closed-minded lesbian who would rather there is no ‘T’ in LGBTQIA+ interacts with Wilf, the show’s most captivating character, she attempts to wrap her head around their non-binary identity, insultingly stumbling over pronouns. Powerfully, the show puts forward a message of how insidious forms of transphobia delay the route to equality. 

The work’s execution wanes when relying on well-worn tropes, such as an underwhelming threat posed from the deceased’s dad. Those interpersonal dramas are far more compelling, and if the writing dedicated more time to teasing out these nuances, it would have resulted in a much more satisfying experience.

As it stands, Four Felons And A Funeral is an enjoyable watch performed by an animated cast, and a promising Fringe outing for the young GOYA Theatre Company. 

Four Felons And A Funeral, Pleasance Courtyard, until 27 August, 1.45pm.