Rosie Denner makes the pilgrimage to Edinburgh to see three shows presented at theSpaceUK venues as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024
With the gut punches of Apricot, the twisty turns of An Act of Grace, and the true and bitter reality of Addict, this writer’s trip to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe was well worth the anxiety and stress of travelling across the central belt of Scotland for a whole three times in three days!
Navigating Edinburgh by one’s lonesome, for the first time, is nerve wracking, and the muggy and stifling weather Edinburgh had for us in the first week of August, and the hill upon which Edinburgh is built – who thought that was a good idea? – did not leave much time dry, the clamminess and the beads of sweat continuously forming on one’s forehead.
TheSpaceUK has the friendliest and most welcoming team and made this writer feel at ease when venturing into the chaotic world of media and press for the Fringe. Nothing was a problem, and everyone had a smile on their face. All three of their venues were as organised as they could be at this enormously busy time of the year, and they were prepared for anything that came their way. So, a big thank you to theSpaceUK.
Our first stop, theSpace at Surgeon’s Hall.
Apricot’s playwright Gigi Rice, influenced by the arguments and debates that arose from the turnover of Roe versus Wade in 2022, leaves us wondering what is right and what is wrong – or is there even a right or wrong path in these decisions made by women around the world every single day?
This play unapologetically gives us both pro-life and pro-choice instances; made by Angel (Jaz Tizzard), a teen who cannot get enough of sex and relies on abortions as a form of birth control, and Gina (Lucy Nicholson) born into a Christian family who thinks of Angel’s abortions as murder. We are introduced to Finlay Vane Last’s character near peak of the play – and boy does he bring this show to a turning point for our Angel and Gina.
We see their friendship hit highs and lows in scenes set in Gina’s home during their last year of secondary school, and the audience knows they have each other’s backs when the one of them is in trouble (no matter how much they might disagree with the decision to fix it).
Both starring and directing, Nicholson delivers a balance of comedic timing and gut-punching statements, leaving us clinging onto every detail Rice want us to have.
All three performers bring different thoughts and opinions to the surface that people may not have opened their eyes to, and a true reflection for possibly many true stories.
On to theatre number two, theSpace at Niddry Street, to see An Act of Grace.
Canadian playwright John Muggleton has written a play full of wit, humour, and multiple twists and turns throughout its plot. Dear reader, do not think you have figured out the play after the first ten seconds, because you most likely have not. You are kept on your toes for the duration of this play, even after the main turning point. Yes – there is more than one!
Hailing from Canada’s capital city, the Ottawa Little Theatre have made their way across the pond, with director Lindsay Laviolette’s vision of Muggleton’s play gripping audiences in this year’s Fringe. Venetia Lawless, playing wealthy widow Grace, could not help but make this writer smile with how much power she held within the space, with both the audience, and the two men accompanying her on the stage. Kurt Shantz and Christian Giansante portray Chuck and Tony, two men invited by Grace to her mansion in order to compete to win her trust, and then – they think – manage her estate… Well, aren’t they in for a surprise.
The third and final performance of my trip to Edinburgh was none other than the show Addict, written by Tom Voller and directed by Mo Hansh and Lisa McKinnon. What a powerful ending to a jam-packed weekend! Performing at theSpace on the Mile, this one-man show had this writer’s attention from the very moment she sat down. The actor, Craig Barclay, with his many accents, nods, jabs and winks to the audience, and the physicality he has given to his character, completely entrapped the audience to seeing and listening and feeling his downfall from the moment he hits that ‘post’ button.
Hansh and McKinnon have made Voller’s work come alive with such tremendous force, it knocks the audience back with some hard-hitting truths of the dangerous effects that social media can have on the people we know and love most dearly.
Although a dramatic and tragic ending to the show, no less a thought-provoking one and a powerful ending to this trip.
All three shows left me wanting more. More of Gina’s funerals for her best friend Angel’s aborted foetuses; More of Chuck’s asides to the audience; and more of Craig’s many natural switches to different accents.
This writer’s final thoughts – Wow, wow, and wow!
Featured image (top): Ottawa Little Theatre: An Act of Grace
All shows presented at theSpaceUK, Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024
Lucy Nicholson: Apricot by Gigi Rice, theSpace @ Surgeons Hall, 2-10 August 2024
Ottawa Little Theatre: An Act of Grace, theSpace @Niddry St 2–24 August 2024
MotoVoho: Addict, theSpace2 on The Mile, 2-17 August 2024
For full information and bookings for all Edinburgh Festival Fringe shows, see www.edfringe.com
Rosie Denner took part in the Total Theatre Artists as Writers 2024 programme, which was delivered June to August 2024, in collaboration with Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh.