Theatre review: Hindsight, theSpace, Edinburgh

School sums are ever more threatening for dreamy 12-year-old Laura; as the teacher threatens and the class laughs, her only friend is her toy bear, but toys break the school rules.

Hindsight, theSpace on North Bridge (Venue 36)

Hindsight, theSpace, Edinburgh * * *

She’s got to get ready to move up to her next school, but Laura hates tests, because they show she’s stupid and weird, and the numbers jump all over the page.

This is a thought-provoking and carefully executed family drama about the way Laura’s mother, and her schoolteacher, struggle to respond to a girl people just say is young for her age. Writer Jill Franklin created this piece drawing on personal experience to address the issue of undiagnosed autism, particularly in girls.

Codge Crawford is solid and stern as the maths teacher Mr Ford, frustrated by Laura's disruptive behaviour in his class of 30 pupils but prepared to go the extra mile to respond. Helen Fox delivers a heartfelt portrayal of the mother who is both loving and desperately out of her depth, while her daughter Anna Fox is convincing and calm as her stage daughter Laura. Laura and Bear (Tessa Hall) incorporate gymnastic routines in an effort to find calm.

Until 24 August

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