Edinburgh Fringe review: Failure Project @ Summerhall

Following the creative endeavours and personal life of Ade (Yolanda Mercy), Failure Project offers a frank, vulnerable exploration of the concept of failure. Conveying deep truths about the creative industry and the pressures facing Black working-class artists, Mercy delivers a show that gets to the core of what it means to be an artist in 2024. 

Mercy addresses taboo subjects such as the nature of unpaid work in the creative industries, exposing the reality of the arduous process of getting your work put on stage. The voice of the writer is expected to be utterly distinct but universally relatable, requiring them to bend and contort in paradoxical ways to the whim of producers. Mercy was inspired by her own experience of writing the play Day Girl and how her autonomy as a writer was completely taken away. This grounds the show in profound realism that pulls on your heartstrings. 

Her story conveys many harsh truths of the industry with precision. This includes the ever-increasing reality of stunt casting and opting for social media follows over talent for the sake of profitability. In her own striking words: “They buy your dreams and sell you out.” The turmoil of overwhelming amounts of unpaid work weighs heavily on her, and Ade constantly feels invisible, left with an embarrassment that doesn’t belong to her. 

Mercy’s writing exposes the reality that being “booked and busy” isn’t as glamorous as it sounds. She is constantly on the see-saw of uncertainty, made even worse by her ‘situationship’, which is yet another source of anxiety. Ade is constantly taking hits from rejection and failure, having sacrificed so much of herself, her principles and her art to the industry; this story is intensely personal, but universally relatable. Like many underrepresented groups, Ade knows she must keep going and strive to succeed not just for herself, but for everyone who has ever been overlooked. 

Mercy dares to go where others have faltered, speaking out about the commercialisation of trauma in the arts: being Black has meant having to talk about her trauma in order to be heard. She draws attention to the issues around pigeon-holing in the name of inclusivity and its performative and insincere nature. The one real drawback to the play is that some of the sound design is not always effective and confuses the narrative. In a similar vein, some of her jokes rely on cliché to connect to the audience, which doesn’t quite fit with the deep sincerity of Mercy’s performance.

With an emotional, powerful and sincere ending, Ade’s journey to take ownership of her voice is both heart-wrenching and gripping. With a collection of flowers for the audience to choose from to give to artists at the Fringe, the show encourages acts of kindness towards those who have to suffer in silence for the sake of their livelihoods – a particularly poignant message in this day and age.

Failure Project, Summerhall (Anatomy Lecture Theatre), until 26 Aug (not 12 or 19), 1.30pm, £10-17