Perhaps fittingly for a play about an emo teenager struggling with mental health and coming to terms with his sexuality, ‘Goblin’ isn’t entirely sure what it wants to be. It’s billed – accurately – as a dark comedy, and it is both very dark and very, very funny. Writer-performer Derek Mitchell is brilliant throughout, revelling in the cringe comedy of awkward audience interactions, and bringing real pathos to the emotional beats. But the performance’s tonal whiplash – though intentional – didn’t work for me. Much as Eliot’s use of humour as a coping strategy limits his emotional growth, the script’s relentless pursuit of laughs undermines the serious points, and neither the character, nor the audience, gets the resolution we crave. 

Summerhall, until 24 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Andy Leask]