Imagine the BBC show ‘Casualty’ but it’s in a psychiatric ward and it’s live. That’s how ‘Blue’ felt – although perhaps as though the script is missing act one or three – as if we have been slammed right into the middle of a series. There are multiple storylines, and there’s lots of character development, but it’s easy to follow, and the actors do a brilliant job of showing complex personalities dealing with problems, illnesses or traumatic pasts. However, as the performance goes on one can’t help feeling somewhat overloaded by distressing themes. There are touching moments, though, that really move the audience, as we witness the true feelings of certain characters or hear their horrific secrets. A good, if slightly sombre bit of theatre.

theSpace on North Bridge, until 27 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Andrew Melrose]