Things To Do in Mull, The Space on the Mile.

Donna Soto-Morettini’s play is loosely inspired by Gogol’s Diary of a Madman – and I must say I didn’t get the reference until I realised that our hero Janusz learns the background information on a girl he fancies by talking to the dog, Jasper. Janusz’ problem is not unique to him and nearly everyone has it to an extent – being addicted to social media and online scrolling. So he resolves to get rid of all his devices and spend some time alone on the island of Mull, researching Polish history for his thesis. It’s a nice idea, and Robert Litwin is excellent in the role of Janusz. It is, however, a rather slight play – one feels it could have been a little bolder and gone a little further, and at barely forty minutes there’s not that much opportunity to delve into Janusz’ character too deeply. An enjoyable start to the day though.

The Academy Trust, The Space at Surgeon’s Hall.

Welcome to the Academy Trust, formed from the merger of a primary school and a secondary school – and two headteachers vying for the same job. As a result they devise ways of scuppering the other one’s chances and making themselves look good by getting individual teachers on their side. Very cleverly written and performed by two actual genuine teachers, it gives a comical insight into the horrors of being a modern teacher, including managing the dreaded Ofsted visit. Loved the fact that the Academy is sponsored by Ladbrokes, and there are numerous references to the staff being encouraged to gamble. Very funny, very tongue in cheek – although you also recognise that there is more than a grain of truth in it all!

Bitter Lemons, Pleasance Courtyard.

The two contrasting stories of a footballer and a banker – both facing an important crunch time in their career development, and, perhaps surprisingly, both women. As they interweave their separate stories you notice a few similarities between the two very different people. Then comes the event that unites them; they both discover that they are unexpectedly, and unintentionally, pregnant. How do they balance this discovery with the important stages in their careers? Well written, crisply staged, and with two excellent performances from Shannon Hayes and Chanel Waddock. The acting and the writing grip your attention throughout. A strong production, and highly recommended.

Vanya is Alive, The Space at Symposium Hall.

Given the awful events in Ukraine and the destroyed families on both sides of the war, this play tells a bold and important story, as a mother hears news about her soldier son. Never having had the unfortunate experience of living under an authoritarian regime, I confess it took me a long time to understand the “trick” of this play; and even after I had started to understand its very particular form of doublespeak, it still didn’t fully make sense until after it was finished and I had time to reflect. Acted sparsely and relatively unemotionally by one actor, Nikolay Mulakov, I felt it was a shame that it didn’t have a more dramatic or dynamic performance – the recital nature of the delivery of the text felt laboured and reserved. Maybe that was the point? But the result was that something that should have felt powerful and significant came across as slightly underwhelming and understated.

Adam Kay: Undoctored – This is Going to Hurt… More, Pleasance Courtyard.

Not having seen Adam Kay before, I wasn’t entirely certain what to expect from his show. I didn’t think it would be “stand-up”; and indeed it wasn’t. Instead he reads passages (presumably from his new book) that illustrate various funny and agonising events from his medical career and beyond. Some of them are excruciatingly funny, others are painfully sad. There are also a few comedy songs, but you wouldn’t exactly call Adam Kay the medical Tom Lehrer. In a real-life dramatic turn of events there was a medical emergency at the back of the audience and Mr Kay was the first to bound up the steps to see what he could do to help. An entertaining and provocative hour, but it’s probably equally entertaining to read his book at home.

Sophie’s Surprise 29^th, Underbelly’s Circus Hub on the Meadows.

Three Legged Race Productions’ debut act at the Fringe is an enormously fun circus cabaret show with some fantastic balancing and aerial acts, a comedy unicyclist, and, as a running thread through the show, it’s Sophie’s birthday too – Sophie being a random young lady picked from the audience who ends up playing quite a significant part in the show! It’s all done in very good humour, and there’s a sensational roller skate act that looks absolutely terrifying and is definitely the highlight of the hour. A truly excellent example of this kind of show.