As the Fringe approaches an end for 2025, my last day of adventure brings me here: an empty bus stop, eagerly waiting for the arrival of two lost girls.
‘One last night at the Fringe, Jess and Iona wander the city looking for that best show, finest view, that perfect moment to confess… everything.’
Our performers burst into the space, having been seated amongst the audience, creating a feeling of connection and community from the start. Catriona Faint is electric. Leyla Aycan is grounded. It’s the perfect blend of yin and yang, knowing those couples we’ve seen on nights out – the chaotic one who is extroverted and the other more reserved, who is a total introvert. Balancing one another out. An ideal romance. Or is it?
Our protagonists relive their eventful night, as they finish working the fringe. It quickly becomes a celebration of the sapphic experience; longing, resisting, pain and pleasure. Faint’s portrayal moves the audience, as we see agony numbed with copious amounts of alcohol. Aycan’s performance shows us what real empathy can look like. Throughout this performance we are on the edges of our seats wanting to know – will they or won’t they lock lips?
The writing in this production is stellar. Bryson’s work has exemplified the angst faced by many within modern dating. How isolating it is, how lacking we are as a generation to navigate intimate conversations with those we care about mostly, and that romance is anything but fun a lot of the time. Don’t get me wrong – this show is a LOT of fun. But when does the fun finish and the reality set in?
Noble’s direction in this production was everything I needed and more. Including audience interaction, creating a buzz within an intimate space where we were trapped in ecstasy and emotions and really absorbed in the space. By the end, our bus stop is paved in memories of that faithful event, where our audience can revisit and dare to re-write our stories.
