ED2017 3/5 Reviews ED2017 Theatre Reviews

The Starship Osiris (Willis & Vere)

By Louise Jones | Published on Sunday 27 August 2017

‘The Starship Osiris’ sends sci-fi parody into hyperdrive as it devolves into meta-farce. On the surface, this ‘Star Trek’ knock-off serves up a sound pastiche, ignoring the shaky American accents. Adam Willis is a highlight as put-upon engineer Evans, juggling hammy awkwardness and full-blown aggression as he quits the show after a line flub. From here the show turns on its own genre’s gender roles: gone are the Starettes’ sugar-pop sweetness, instead actor Molly Bird rants and Jo McGarry actively strips off her lack of agency. What sours it is the sheer chaos of the fights and arguments breaking out: they’re not finely tuned enough, and the ending feels tacked onto an over-long exploration of behind-the-scenes bickering.

Underbelly Cowgate, until 27 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Louise Jones]