Greenside @ Infirmary St

(7-8, 10-15, 17-22, 24-29)

18.30

****

*

Now this was an engaging piece of art from start to finish. An exploration of mental health and relationships, played out with a cast of two; an Irish beauty and a Romanian gentleman. The play takes the audience on a journey through the relationship that they share, with more than one aspect of tragedy raising the shadows of each of our heroes. All the base, horrible bits of being in a relationship are on show : lack of trust, infidelity, jealousy and dementia. Yes, dementia… a really tragic & thoughtful addition to the play. There are nae that many thirty-something, pretty things that suffer dementia.

*

*

I loved the unique way that the stage set was changed by the turning of a chair. On the whole this was a story of enduring love. Despite the difficulties that this sweet couple were going through, it felt as though they still had a few years left in them. Having being celibate for a year myself, it made me wonder why we bother going into relationships at all…. Ashes Afar is surely a gentle reminder of the benefits of being single… but the heroine enjoyed the carnal arts, she talked about it a lot.

*

*

The Vanner Collective‘s contribution to this year’s Fringe has a brilliant script and is very well acted, & left me embracing my inner bachelor and feeling a more than a little disturbed. Well It Is The Fringe! FOUR STARS.

*

Reviewer : Mark ‘Divine’ Calvert