Described as a ‘poem play’ this piece is in essence an exhilarating, fast-paced exploration of ordinary language. Although also described as a dark comedy, it’s a pretty bleak tale, of self-deception as much as anything else, which ends in a lonely place without self-redemption evidently at hand. Charly, the ‘lady dealer’ starts out seemingly self-confident, proud that she’s good at what she does. Fate in the form of a power-cut intervenes, creating probably unwelcome space for reflection: and the charade of being in control falls apart. This is good writing but, despite Alexa Davies’ energetic performance, as set in the round and with limited stage business, I found it rather over-demanding as a theatre piece.

ROUNDABOUT @ Summerhall, until 27 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Alan Cranston]