Ruaraidh Murray as Pongo is a brooding and violent Hibs football casual who may or may not have just murdered a rival Hearts supporter.
Murray, with his closely cropped hair and Stone Island jumper, delivers a believable and compelling performance that becomes more unsettling as the play develops. There has to be more to this local tough-guy, but while we are lead to believe there is a more compassionate side reserved for this brother, the truth reveals a network of abysmal dysfunctions working in tandem.
An abusive father haunts both brothers, and his shadow lingers long.
There are some lighter moments with his brother Pete (Sean Langtree), who has special needs, when they speak of their late mother or play a game of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire . Support of Hibs is a lifeline for this vulnerable adult, and the score, the songs, and sense of being part of something wider is significant, but it’s not enough.
It soon becomes clear that the character is something of a prisoner in his own home. While many Fringe shows carry a trigger warning, perhaps Colours Run is one of the few where it’s absolutely necessary.
It deals with some shocking domestic abuse and relentlessly dark themes, and the room becomes like a pressure cooker as the drama unfolds, becoming almost impossible to bear.
While we don’t quite know how it will all end, we are left in little doubt that things can only get worse for both characters.
