REVIEW: Tap Out! (Or I’ll Hit You Again), Croft & Dye Productions, EdFringe 2026 ★★★

Tap Out? (Or I’ll Hit You Again) captured my attention with its evocative title and its promise to interrogate masculinity. This one-man show certainly delivers, but is difficult to fully reconcile in its knotty characterisation and amorality.

We follow our protagonist as he decides to deal with his loneliness and rage issues by inciting fist fights with strangers on the street, and as this nasty habit devolves into an obsession with stalking and attacking a specific stranger. As his addiction to violence intensifies, our protagonist becomes more and more isolated – turning his flatmate against him, souring his relationship with his boss – until he makes a connection with the owner of the boxing gym that he has started attending in order to get better at attacking strangers. This connection, as well as his budding romance with a colleague, help him to realise that it’s actually wrong to brutally attack strangers without provocation. But has this realisation come too late?

Actor Matt Ackermann does a solid job of bringing this twisted tale to life, relaying his anecdotes of casual cruelty with an unnerving charm and openness. His coiled-spring physicality is impressive – imposing and unpredictable. His vulnerability and emotionality are a pleasant surprise as our protagonist’s trauma begins to come to light as we near the play’s climax. My only gripe is that he seems to rush through the wordy early moments, losing control over his diction and the script as he careens towards the meatier fare of the middle of the production.

This is certainly a responsibility shared between Ackermann and writer/director Conor Dye. Although generally strong, the script is dense, and could have benefitted from a little trimming to give itself (and Ackermann) some breathing room. It takes a stab (jab) at addressing some really complex issues, and achieves an interesting and thought-provoking hour of theatre, despite the slightly troubling attempt to redeem our unstable protagonist.

The production design is simple – a punching bag, a chair, a balaclava and some wrist straps provide Ackermann with everything that he needs to jab, hook, and side-step his way through this production. A little more attention to tech, perhaps including some more interesting SFX to heighten the cacophony of influences ringing in our protagonist’s ears, could have deepened the emotional impact of the peice.

Risky, provocative, and layered, Tap Out! is perhaps the most unique exploration of the hot-button manosphere offerings at this year’s Fringe, even if the punch doesn’t quite land.

Drink recommendation: A humble pint will suffice.

You can catch Tap Out! (Or I’ll Hit You Again), at Coorie at Gilded Balloon Patter House from 5-31 August at 18:20 (60 mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.