REVIEW: One Life Stand, Roundabout at Summerhall, Edinburgh Fringe ✭✭✭

Paul T Davies reviews One Life Stand at Roundabout at Summerhall at Edinburgh Fringe.

Photo: Sarah Beth One Life Stand Roundabout at Summerhall, Edinburgh Fringe

20 August 2018

3 Stars

Book Now

Middle Child created one of the hits of the Fringe last year with All We Ever Wanted Was Everything, and the team return with this new show written by Eve Nicol with music by James Frewer and Honeyblood. The journey across a late night urban landscape is a now established genre, as is the fusion of poetry, music and text. Kate Tempest and her play Wasted continues to be the high water mark for me.

Kat is going into town, but the constant kitten videos texted to her by her boyfriend Kit are an irritant. She has a more exciting possibility, an illicit lover. He too, cycling around the city, meets the possibility of new encounters with a girl,  internet famous for posting a video of her having sex with her teacher.

Tanya Loretta Dee, Edward Cole and Anna Michelson perform this gig theatre well, but ultimately it goes a long way to travel very little. Dialogue of adverts, emocions and text speak zing around, but mean little. However, there is some beautiful poetry, and Cole in particular drives the piece with fizzing energy. But, for me, it feels too cool for its own good, and would benefit from breaking free from its constrained structure.

BOOK NOW FOR ONE LIFE STAND