Summerhall, Edinburgh
5 stars
The heat is on for Stacey Gross, the terminally sunny side up TV weather girl and walking feelgood factor in American writer Brian Watkins’ full force whirlwind of a play. Stacey may be hot stuff for the viewers in the smog soaked sweat box of California, but inside she is a Prosecco soaked mess who might break into a million pieces any second.
If she did, judging by some of the hot flushes going on lately, chances are she’d cause a flood verging on biblical. Beyond the big city, Stacey appears increasingly possessed by a higher power inherited from her homeless mother who gave her up at birth. Out of this comes a devastating eco fable that fuses pop culture and nightmare scenario to make a withering assault on the consumer capitalist Ballardian hellscape Stacey inhabits en route to becoming an accidental super heroine.
Tyne Rafaelli’s turbo charged production brings Watkins’ prophecies to life by way of the incredible Julia McDermott, who is a force of nature as Stacey. On stage by herself throughout, McDermott ramps up the pace with such velocity one fears she might spontaneously combust. That she comes through the other side unscathed is testament to the power she brings to this blisteringly prescient hour. See it before the sun goes down.
Summerhall until 26th August, 6pm.
The List, August 2024
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