Theatre review: Beam

Edinburgh Festival Fringe: Possibly the slowest-moving production at the Fringe (and not necessarily in a bad way), Beam is the second collaboration between performer Lucy Haighton and theatremaker Heather Morgan.

ZOO Southside (Venue 82)

***

It stars Granny (Haighton), an 86-year-old Yorkshirewoman who totters slowly across the stage, a generous smile permanently plastered across her face. In between professing her love of jelly babies, sprigs of lavender and newspaper romance ads, she relates how she journeyed to Canada by ship in her youth, carrying nothing but a dress, ten pairs of pants and a five pound note.

While Granny’s delivery is faultlessly polite and welcoming, the flashbacks to her youth are much less restrained: Haighton’s face clearly registers every moment of panic, trepidation, joy and excitement in her voyage as she glides and spins across the stage. Her impassioned, flowing movements are a marked contrast to Granny’s shuffling steps.

It’s a show where very little happens over a long period of time, but after shifting gear from the bustle of the Fringe, that slowness is a balm. It’s also not a production that aims at any great profundity, other than perhaps reminding you that, before she got into knitting, your dear old gran had grand adventures of her own.

Until 17 August. Today 11:25am.