Theatre review: Commons

Edinburgh Festival Fringe: In an upmarket hotel room, rent boy Sam (Edd Smith) steels himself for a final meeting with his former client, a disgraced MP named Marcus Thwaites (Adam Spencer).

theSpace on North Bridge (Venue 36)

***

Sam is young – just turned 21 and looking forward to starting university in September – and Marcus, while not exactly old (42), has psoriasis, heart problems and a failing marriage to deal with. Oh, and Brexit, but that’s neither here nor there.

The relationship between the two is compelling enough to keep you engaged for the tight, 45-minute running time.

However, there are a few faults: the relatively youthful Spencer never really convinces as an older man, and Sam’s superior knowledge of old black-and-white tearjerkers such as Brief Encounter and An Affair to Remember rings false when he upstages the supposedly fusty old Marcus.

Still, Smith is an engaging and sympathetic actor, and supporting cast members Hannah Ritchie and Sarah Chamberlain get to introduce a welcome note of comedy with their intrusive cutaways.

As for the Brexit subtext, Elliot Douglas’s script flirts with some analogous material – the selfishness of Marcus and his party is flagged up in one particularly unsubtle scene – but for the most part, it’s simply a backdrop which allows for a few neat punchlines.

Until 19 August. Today 5:10pm.