Edinburgh Fringe Review: Revelations, Summerhall - laughter, tears and pin-drop moments
20/08/2018
It's a story that sweeps you up in a mixture of warmth, humour and tragedy.
Revelations is the final part of a trilogy following the lives of James, Emma, Sarah and Tom - although it works as a standalone as I hadn't seen the first two.
Told as a monologue through the eyes of James (James Rowlands) who has been friends with Sarah since they were kids, Sarah is now married to Emma who is a human rights lawyer.
This is the story of what happens when Sarah and Emma ask James to be their sperm donor so they can have a child.
There are plenty of flashbacks and references to earlier incidents for context but what follows is a story that bubbles with laughter one minute and tension the next.
Rowlands has a (very) small keyboard set up on stage and periodically will record and loop music and sung dialogue which plays along in the background - sometimes a little obtrusively as he yells to be heard over the top.
Rowlands draws you into their world, a world which will have you giggling and laughing but also holding your breath with trepidation.
There are pin-drop moments anticipating what happens next born out of what you want to happen - or what you don't want to happen.
The final sequence does overstay its welcome but overall it's a story that sweeps you up in a mixture of warmth, humour and tragedy.
You'll laugh, cry, gasp and possibly even hold your breath - it's a great piece of storytelling.
Revelations is at Summerhall, 17.40 until August 26 and contains full nudity.
The rest of my fringe stuff:
Blackout - a difficult watch but darkly funny
The Fishermen - richly-drawn, gripping narrative
Angry Alan - Powerful irony at play.
You Only Live Forever - comedy stuffed with witty one-liners and silliness.
Queens of Sheba - the most emotional I've felt at the Fringe.
Review: Su Pollard is a sharp-tongue hoarder in Harpy
Edinburgh Fringe Review: The poverty trap through the eyes of a teenager in Killymuck
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Edinburgh Fringe Review: Ladykiller or how to use gender stereotypes to get away with murder
Edinburgh Fringe Review: The Vanishing Man and The Extinction Event - magic, clever and fun
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A play losing its way in The Journey (Edinburgh Fringe review)