Theatre review: Twice Over, Greenside at Nicolson Square, Edinburgh

Two northern working women, one in the 1983 and one in 2017, united, as one describes it, by "two hopeless prime ministers" - Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May.

Theatre: Twice Over, Greenside at Nicolson Square, Edinburgh (Venue 209)

Twice Over, Greenside at Nicolson Square ****

The women juggle jobs in a world that, in many ways, seems to have changed for the better, but in others, stills seems to have a long way to go.

Writers Eve Simpson and Jane Prinsley's two-women show, told through poetry, songs and storytelling, pairs the personal experiences of two likeable young characters with the political decisions that underpin these, to highlight the paradox of a society where women can hold the most powerful posts in government but still struggle to compete in a world that unfairly rewards men who are, at best, their equals and, at worst, incompetent.

Capitalism versus community is a conflict the underpins both of the women's words, with the working men's clubs of the 1980s depicted as also defining women's roles, while in 2017 the need to leave a northern home to go and work 'down south' is a familiar story.

SALLY STOTT

Until 10 August

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