Laura Solon: Rabbit-Faced Story Soup, Assembly Rooms
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.It's a shame that the 2005 Perrier winner Laura Solon isn't eligible for an Edinburgh Comedy Award this year as her latest Fringe show is far better than her winning show was. Choosing to house her characters in a story rather than a showcase, Solon single-handedly lives out 20 characters in a lovely yarn about the attempt to finish the novel of a best-selling author who has suddenly upped and died.
Without costume changes or a pace too frenetic to maintain, the 30-year old seamlessly scrolls back and forth through her cast giving each one choice lines and a vocal resonance that makes up for what she may lack in ability to completely physically embody her characters.
While Solon's slender frame sports only a white T-shirt with black trousers and a black waistcoat her characters are colourful: the Russian ex-tyrant who now owns the publishing firm where our heroine, publisher Diana Lewis, works; a man fond of saying "tits down" when things get bad because: "tits up gives a hopeful sense of buoyancy" and is therefore misleading. There's an equally joyous hard-bitten literary agent about whom Diana is advised not to "get on or go anywhere near her goat" and who exhibits some stinging put-downs remarking that Diana wears low self-esteem as if it were the "new black".
This is gag-driven, no-extra-fat character comedy containing as many flourishes as you would get in a good stand-up show with the added bonus of a cohesive narrative. A real vindication of the faith that was put in her four years ago.
To 30 August (0131-623 3030)
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments