Writer: Tom Foreman
The poster for this play is simple but evocative – a strip of photobooth pictures of a couple. Like the play it promotes, it’s intimate and relatable. The action opens with a woman, empty champagne flute in hand, apparently attempting to rehearse her wedding speech. She’s quite stressed.
When her fiance arrives they discuss the wedding preparations. There’s tension in the air but also laugh-out-loud humour. Tom Foreman’s script does an admirable job of differentiating the couple’s personalities and capturing the intensity of their close relationship. They are that tricky thing: characters recognisable enough to draw in an audience yet unpredictable enough to hold our rapt attention. The dialogue is sharp and appears natural but it requires a well-tuned ear to put lines like these on the page.
Layered onto this are fine performances by Charlie Sheepshanks and Rachel Nicholson that make the drama crackle with meaning. The casting of the nameless couple is as near perfect as you’re likely to find. We learn that they’ve been through several rounds of fertility treatment and there’s a fraught conversation about barring a baby from the wedding, which would effectively bar the mother as well. The arguments continue but they take place within a range of tolerance both partners know to keep within.
There are twists and there are turns. The compression of the narrative into the one-hour format has the effect of making the word-rich action slightly claustrophobic and a little melodramatic. But the main thing is that we’re taken on a journey and persuaded to have empathy for both of the characters.
The Fringe is awash with solo shows, many being hybrids of theatre and stand-up comedy. They range in quality from so-so to fantastic. There are far fewer shows like these; poignant and cleverly worked two-handers that tell a compelling story and fully convey a fictional world. After the show, if you feel inspired, you can buy a copy of the script. It’s a good exemplar of an effective Fringe-length play.
Runs until 31 August 2026 | Image: Contributed
