Festival review: Double Edge’s Apples; Underbelly Cowgate (venue 61)

“What were the apples supposed to represent?” said one audience member , as we filed out of this show by members of Eton College.

Hopefully he was in the minority, because although this show posed a few questions, the significance of the titular fruit wasn’t one of them.

Split into two distinct groups, the schoolboys arrive on stage. Some have already endured the hardships of adolescence, others are still checking the development of their muscles, facial hair, Adam’s apple and, inevitably, the contents of their underwear.

When will their apples be ripe enough to fall from the tree? Will they survive the intimidation of the “bigger boys”? And will any of them be able to find a girlfriend?

At first, too much time is spent on aimless frolicking, rendering Apples worthy of an end-of-term show, nothing more. But then, quite unexpectedly, the testosterone-charged romping comes to an end, and the raw emotions of one young boy come to the fore.

It is in that moment, that we see these characters – and performers – for what they are: boys trying to find their way to manhood, with all the pain, confusion and expectation that journey entails.

Rating: * * *

Until 18 August. Today noon.