Midsummer [a play with songs]

There's always something thrilling about watching a play set here and now - it's one of the major advantages of theatre that ideas can go from page to stage in a matter of weeks as opposed to the months or years involved in filmmaking.

Midsummer, a collaboration between the brilliant David Greig and musician Gordon McIntyre of Ballboy, takes the audience on a frantic dash around a very recognisable contemporary Edinburgh, celebrating the details of the capital city much like cinema so frequently fusses over New York, but with added nostalgia and a healthy dose of cynicism.

The play tells of two lost souls, lawyer Helena (Cora Bissett) and a small-time criminal Bob (Matthew Pidgeon), who meet in Whighams Wine Cellars and forge an unlikely bond. The plot itself is less important than the way Greig tells the story; the bigger picture less memorable than small touches such as an intrusive Tickle-Me Elmo, a surreal weather report and a meditation on the outlawing of ball games in residential areas.

McIntyre's melodies are beautifully performed by the two actors, and along with glorious interludes reminiscent of Anthony Neilson's work they provide an insight into the emotional psychology of each character.

That the navel-gazing tends to focus more on Bob (a 35-year-old absent father with no defining physical features) than Helena (a Bridget Jones type largely defined by her affair with a married man), is no great surprise, but thanks to Bissett's spiky performance a balance is maintained. She's also great as various (male) supporting characters, and Pidgeon, too, is on great form in an everyman role with a twist.

This is theatre for people who don't necessarily like theatre, the spirit of which recalls Vanishing Point's terrific 2007 Fringe offering Subway. If only more productions had this much energy, spontaneity and heart.

Reviewed in October 2008.

No performances at the Edinburgh Fringe on Mondays.