Will You Be Praying the Entire Flight? The Space at Niddry Street.You know that heart-sinking moment when you’re seated on the plane just before take-off and the passenger from hell comes and sits next to you? A secular Jew and a Hasidic Jew find themselves next to each other on a six-hour flight to London, with only a well-meaning but rookie air steward to interrupt their conversation. But sometimes, being confronted by opposing opinions or vastly different ways of life can open your eyes and make you question everything you always believed. Will You be Praying the Entire Flight? is deftly structured to allow perfectly pitched light comedy alongside its serious issues without ever unbalancing the substance of the play. I must particularly commend the script, which touches on many sensitive subjects, including a thoughtful and beautifully expressed analysis of the current Gaza situation. Three fantastic performances from Rachel Ravel, Marissa Ruben and Madeline Rose Parks, and superb writing make this an unexpected hit of the Fringe. 4 stars.

Cabin Fever, The Space at Symposium Hall.All aboard the Fresh Ink flight from London to Los Angeles, in the company of controlling wife Rachel and scared husband Michael, therapist Anastasia, an elderly couple, an unruly family with noisy kids, a pair of Insta influencers, and a precocious kicking child, not to mention the hard-pressed cabin crew. When Rachel discovers she’s sitting next to her old school bestie Alice, it’s clear that Alice has a different memory of their school times. Will they still be best buddies by the time they land in LA? Aurelia Harris-Johnstone and Beth Miles play all the roles in this tightly written, fast-moving and extremely funny play; and the speed and precision with which they instantly flip from character to character is spellbindingly impressive. 4 stars.

Going Soft, Underbelly CowgateChildhood friends James and Martin reunite after a few years’ separation to create a business – Bar-L, a prison-themed bar, appropriately located next to a prison. Not content with that, they’re seeking to expand into the adult soft play market but need a Dragon’s Den-type investment in the business to knock down the walls and make the space. They invite Jean, an investor, to hear their pitch. There’s such a good play lurking here, exploring themes of how to sustain a relationship when one person has moved on and developed, and how to deal with bullying toxic masculinity, but sadly Going Soft isn’t it. No lack of effort from the talented cast, but over-the-top performances and an annoying temptation to litter the script with silly, dad-type jokes that detract from the credibility of the story truly make this an opportunity missed. I really wanted to enjoy this more, but couldn’t. 2 stars.

Windrush Secret, C Arts C Venues C Aurora.The Windrush Scandal represents one of the UK’s most disgraceful miscarriages of justice. In this riveting but unsettling one-man show, Rodreguez King-Dorset plays three roles: the Trinidadian Ambassador to the UK, the leader of a far-right English political party, and a senior adviser to the Home Office, all of whom have their own attitudes to exactly what happened and who is at fault. Mr King-Dorset brings powerful characterisations to his characters, especially the obnoxious leader of the England for the English Party, and the smarmy cynicism of the Home Office adviser. There’s also a nice twist at the end of the play, which truly represents a Windrush Secret. Not a pleasant watch, but a very important one. 4 stars.

Jackie!!!, Gilded Balloon Patter House.A musical about Jackie Kennedy Onassis sounds like it should be an intriguing ride, but Joe McNeice, Nancy Edwards and Max Alexander-Taylor’s show has taken a fascinating story and reduced it to a comedy knockabout; a farcical musical indeed, with four doors on stage for rapid entrances and exits to prove it. The show starts with JFK’s assassination, then goes back in time to Jackie meeting JFK, their relationship growing, his philandering, her meeting Onassis, and ending with his assassination again – all that material in one hour!

There are some very good things about this show, primarily Nancy Edwards’ outstanding performance as Jackie; perfectly pitched, with a great voice, and an innocent air, she really makes you believe that she is that First Lady. Among the supporting cast there are two very good performances by Rebecca D’Lacey as her sister Lee and Marilyn Monroe, and Danny Colligan as an idiotic dingbat of a Bobby. Max Alexander-Taylor’s music is very tuneful and immediately attractive. Sadly, these aspects are outweighed by the less good things. First, the sound balance is awful, with the music drowning out the singing; but when you do hear the words, you realise the lyrics are banal and the book is crass. And the performances of Joe McNeice as JFK and Luke Hickman as family patriarch Joseph Kennedy are pure two-dimensional stereotypes. There’s a truly embarrassing scene where JFK is writing a speech and can’t stop making “accidental” sexual references – this is the kind of puerile stuff a thirteen-year-old would dream up. So nearly an excellent show – yet so far. 2 stars.

Saaniya Abbas – Hellarious, Gilded Balloon Patter House.Why is Saaniya Abbas’ show called Hellarious? As a haram Muslim, she is on a one-way ticket to Hell. But that’s OK because she’s had fun getting there; and we have fun listening to her story of how it all happened. Born to a Conservative Muslim mother and a liberal Muslim father in New Delhi, she moved to Dubai for work, married – and divorced – a white English man, and is now back on the dating apps. But there’s much more to Saaniya’s story than that! She has a wonderfully inclusive style, chatting relaxedly with the crowd, with original and very funny, beautifully delivered material. She also has a terrific memory for little details that she gathered from her audience interactions! Very confident and perfectly paced, this is an unexpectedly hilarious hour of pure – and impure – fun. 4 stars.

Ruaridh Miller: It’s Pronounced “Ruaridh”, Hoots @ The Apex.Sometimes a show just demands to be seen on the strength of its name. I was laughing at the thought of It’s Pronounced Ruaridh about three months ago and I’ve been intrigued to see the man behind the name ever since. Ruaridh Miller takes a refreshingly no-nonsense approach to his new show; no need for childhood videos, no need for “pictures of me when I was a baby”, just a need to ensure you say his name right. He has a super-engaging style that puts you instantly at ease, and a confident, fluid delivery timed to perfection so that you get maximum enjoyment from his comic gems. During these extremely funny 45 minutes, we discover that all non-Edinburgh-based Scots hate Edinburgh, we hear about the two worst things that man has ever done, and we learn how much he appreciates everything about Elon Musk. Definitely One To Watch; and I feel daft that I got his name wrong. 4 stars.