Theatre review: Sugar, Sweet Novotel, Edinburgh

Steph and Rhona are working McJobs, living off yesterday’s pizza and struggling to pay their bills until Steph gets an odd proposition on Tinder: a man offering money to buy used tights.

Sugar, Sweet Novotel (Venue 188)

Sugar, Sweet Novotel, Edinburgh * * *

Suddenly, they have a business plan which will allow them to shop in Tesco instead of Aldi, but is it ethical? And, more importantly, is it safe?

Catrin Evans’ comedy for Dundee University company Lip Theatre, with Ellie Squires and Kate Wilson in the lead roles, paints a vivid picture of hard-working young people for whom Tinder takes the place of real relationships and Love Island is a welcome distraction from the knowledge that they’re unlikely to taste prosperity for themselves. The 1%, Rhona concludes wryly, didn’t get where they are by working hard.

The ethical issues at the heart of the play are thoroughly explored without losing the likable sitcom-esque feel. Even if the crisis to which the play is building turns out to be a bit of a non-crisis, and the ending a bit of a non-ending, it’s worth seeing for the quick-fire dialogue and the portrait of a world all too many people will recognise.

Until 24 August

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