#PULSE17 – The Duke

"I found myself utterly charmed by Hugh Hughes and Sioned Rowlands as they played out this strange and beautiful story… A rewarding experience."

The Indpendent

"Shôn Dale-Jones emerges from his Hugh Hughes alter-ego with a show at the Pleasance that combines three stories – about his granny, a film script, and the refugee crisis – into one thoughtful, quietly powerful whole."

The Scotsman's Fringe First Award Winner

"He makes the real world seem wondrous and, in that, The Duke is its own antidote: art that alleviates, but also art that does its bit. Rather than presuming to lecture and guilt-trip us, it gently sets us thinking, then provides buckets for donations to Save the Children. This is art that practices its preaching: made for nothing, but doing something. And delighting as it does, just as art should. You won't find a show with a bigger, better heart anywhere on the Fringe."

What's On Stage

"The subsequent narrative is engaging and complex, existing somewhere between truth and fiction, drama and radio, fantasy and reality. Dale-Jones is a natural and immediately likeable storyteller, knowing exactly which details to embellish and which to gloss over. He returns frequently to the idea of value: how much is a complete set of porcelain figures worth? Or a film script that is by now only vaguely familiar to him? Or a refugee's seat on a boat across the Aegean Sea?"

The List

One hopes that Mr Dale-Jones will set up a sponsorship site online to maximise the help he gives to children isolated from their families by conflict but go along, enjoy and help this worthy cause."

British Theatre Guide

"Hoipolloi’s show, while entertaining, also has a serious and touching motive at its heart. Throughout the script, the refugee crisis is not only referenced, but embedded in the script, reminding us that it is part of our lives and important to us, instead of something we think of fleetingly and then can forget."

Theatre Bubble

"Dale-Jones’ humour and pace keeps the story alive, despite its frequent twists and turns... Dale-Jones' crowning glory as a storyteller is his ability to drop small details in throughout that you almost gloss over, until they come back later in the tale as critical and poignant moments in the show’s chronology. His impressions used to delineate between characters is perfection and his use of music and amplification in order to guide us through the show – highlighting key parts or for added comedic value – mostly hits the intended mark."

Broadway Baby

"The Duke asks powerful questions of social responsibility and accessibility, art and commerce, family and comradeship, all through the masterly mingling of fact and fiction."

Fest Magazine

"Dale-Jones has a very natural way of connecting with his audience, his delivery is quick and it is very easy to be absorbed in the pictures that he creates. Music plays an important part, breaking up the narrative that allows him to create the next scene, and injects humour into the tale. There is a playful mix of fantasy and reality and a very good story that is funny and poignant."

Purple Revolver

"Welshman Dale-Jones exudes engaging gentle charm as the tale, blending fact and fiction, is told with wry asides, clunky musical snippets and poignant observations. Charming, funny and worthy."

The Reviews Hub