Theatre review: Acts of Contrition, theSpace at Surgeons Hall (Venue 53), Edinburgh

A SERIES of short scenes based on themes of apology and forgiveness, this play from the American Slippery Rock company is like a procession of drama school workshop exercises drilled into a loosely connected whole.

Acts of Contrition

theSpace @ Surgeons Hall (Venue 53)

Rating; **

There are a couple of engaging performances, but even without a build-up of dramatic tension between scenes, too many of these engagements – between desperate husband and stand-offish wife, or a suicidal father with a brain tumour and a son with issues from childhood – set the stage and then go nowhere. The man trying to say sorry to his partner on the phone while his crashing plane goes down is agreeably droll, however.

• Until 11 August