EdFringe Review: Of Mice And Men

Despite repeated calls to remove it from the curriculum in England, John Steinbeck’s novel – on which the play Of Mice and Men is based – has been read by millions of British schoolchildren over the decades. These calls are based on the racist language, sexist attitudes, and ableist representations which were commonplace at the time it was published, together with its violent themes. 2026 still finds us unsuccessfully grappling with all of this and more.

Nigel Miles-Thomas’s returning production manages to avoid much (but not all) of this controversy by focusing on the relationship between the two main protagonists, George (Michael Roy Andrew) and Lennie (Miles-Thomas himself). In the best Fringe tradition, the staging is minimal: sacks, crates and a few spotlights. The actors also use the staircase during the performance to good effect.

As I didn’t study Of Mice and Men at school, I carried out a wee bit of research to aid my understanding: It was first published in 1937, telling the story of two itinerant farm workers during the Great Depression and the challenges they face whilst on the road and working.

The performance starts slowly. Double-handers are always difficult and the other characters in the book don’t feature in this adaptation. Their absence is dealt with cleverly but causes the play to lose a bit of colour early on.

Powerful Performances Bring Steinbeck’s Characters to Life

Michael Roy Andrew (Coronation Street, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps) draws the audience in with his understated performance as George, whose frustration always bubbles below the surface, spilling out occasionally into anger at Lennie and at a world which refuses to understand him. George is hyper-vigilant towards potential threats and Andrew does a superb job of communicating this both verbally and physically.

Nigel Miles-Thomas (The Fifteen Streets, Doctor Who) slips effortlessly into Lennie’s innocent shoes. His immense strength, large build and intellectual disability continually lead him into scrapes, then danger and finally a tragic ending to the play. Lennie continually fibs to George who is quick to clock him and give him a row, which provides a bit of light relief.

Miles-Thomas and Andrew have the audience completely engaged with their characters and their friendship – it helps that both have worked together on several projects (Frankenstein, The Elephant Man, The Return of Sherlock Holmes). For me, this production was very much about the frustrations of a carer: with the care recipient (no matter how much you love them), with the situation and with other people’s attitudes and unwillingness to be compassionate or look at the bigger picture. The slow start gathers momentum, and the play comes to a heartbreaking conclusion as we realise what the discussions throughout between George and Lennie about getting their own land really mean.

“Miles-Thomas and Andrew have the audience completely engaged with their characters and their friendship…”

The performance which I attended was a preview show, and there were a few niggles – it took both actors a while to nail the American accents and their dungarees, boots and accessories were far too clean and modern for a couple of 1930s farmhands – but these were very minor. If not a sell-out, the play must have been very close to it, and the two ladies next to me jumped up to give the cast a standing ovation. Both assured me that they were not related to either actor but absolutely love this production – they had been to see it many times before and would love to see it every night of this run if they could. You can’t get higher praise than that, can you?