In a grand dining room above the streets of Edinburgh, four Hollywood actors share drinks and laughter after attending an awards ceremony. The characters are a little clichéd and, as their stories of abuse are taken verbatim from surveys with London students, I wish the play had been set elsewhere, and had represented a different social group. However, I found the portrayal of disclosing abuse to friends to be convincing and poignant: the silences, blank faces and inability to respond all ringing disturbingly true, particularly in this intimate, site-specific setting. I liked that all of the characters were successful in their own right and that sharing their experiences gave them strength. This play will start a lot of conversations – and that’s something worth applauding.

Pleasance Pop-Up: Power Play HQ, until 25 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Marni Appleton]