The Wolf of Poyais (Fringe Comedy Review) 4 Stars ****

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When you think of the word ‘scam artist’, you may conjure up images of Anna Delvey or the Nigerian princes in your inbox. Once you see The Wolf of Poyais, the first name that pops into your head will likely be Sir Gregor MacGregor.

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Written by Sam Went and acted by Thom Tuck, the one-man show follows the remarkably true tale of the 19th-century Scottish conman Sir Gregor MacGregor. Starting in the British military, MacGregor lied his way to success, culminating in the fabrication of a country in South America to raise today’s equivalent of over £100 million. Although the story involves a maze of complicated 19th-century history – the Napoleonic Wars, Latin American Wars of Independence, and the Haitian Revolution – Tuck glides through it, keeping the audience hooked.

The show is formatted as a seminar on how to get rich, brought to you by none other than Sir Gregor MacGregor himself. His eight rules break up the show nicely, and the flip chart they’re written on adds a modern touch which deftly reminds the audience just how timeless the tale is.

It is this echoing with modern greed and inequality which truly makes the show memorable. The references are not subtle, and all the more hilarious for it. Moments of guilt and doubt are skilfully portrayed, but ultimately discarded in pursuit of the much more important goal of getting money.

But rather than being depressing, the show keeps the audience chuckling throughout. In fact, it is almost comforting to be reminded that humanity has always been plagued by fraudsters, and it is not just the modern world that has fallen victim.

This particular piece of history certainly deserves its own Fringe show, and The Wolf of Poyais does it justice. It is an incredible story, a scathing critique of capitalism, complete with an excellent performance.

The Wolf of Poyais, Assembly Roxy (Roxy Boxy), 5th to 30th August (not 12th, 19th or 26th) 8:30pm

Words: Juliet Gartside

Photo credit: Emily Foxton