Probably the best thing about the Edinburgh Fringe is when you get surprised by a show which was never on your radar in the first place, but then a chance meeting with someone distributing flyers for a show combined with a cancelled show you were going to see, led to me attending a play called Atticwife which was taking place literally a few yards from our studio at Radisson Blu.
That play, written by American actor Laura Clare Browne and directed by fellow-American Rebecca Wilson, and co-starring Jen Clark, turned out to be one of the highlights of the Fringe for me.
It was so well written by Laura and tells the story of a woman who was so besotted with her husband and more importantly his money, that she is quite happy to be kept locked up in an attic, going on the internet to tell her thousands of followers about how happy she is with this unusual liftestyle.
The script is razor sharp and hits home brilliantly. The comedy in this is outstanding and very funny. Some real laugh-out loud moments but the magical chemistry between Laura and Jen (playing the parts of the wife Astrid and her “rescuer” respectively) is wonderful to watch. The comedy element works effortlessly, the words written come alive from the page and the hour whizzes by with laugh after laugh, but also there’s a serious element here which plays out dramatically, and again the two characters convincingly play out these emotional scenes brilliantly.
It’s a great story, there’s not a single second where the plot drags and there are some very big moments in the play which will surprise and shock in equal measures. It is a delightful play on til the 25th August and well worth a visit if you’re around at 8.05pm in the vicinity of the Royal Mile. It’s beautifully and passionately produced by Rebecca Wilson and I could not fault it on any level. A real find and I will be very surprised if this play doesn’t go on to become a film or a major stage play. This was a cutdown version for the Fringe – I cannot wait to see it in its fullest form because this small team delivers on all levels, with Jen Clark and Laura Clare Browne both outstanding in the roles, with Jen having that instant appeal (think female version of Danny Devito) which draws you in. 5 stars right across the board!
