Theatre review: The Gorgon Girl

Medusa loves to hang around the market of Thebes, watching the good-looking lads. Trouble is, if she's not careful with her glare, she turns them to stone.

Star rating: ***

Venue: Sweet Grassmarket (Venue 18)

Her similarly afflicted sisters want her to hide away in their cave, for fear the humans will hunt them down. Meanwhile, the wet Perseus plans to make his reputation as a hero by slaying a monster…

If you recall your classical myths – or Hammer films – you know how it goes: boy meets girl, boy chops off girl’s snake-topped head. In this new version Medusa (Amy Galloway) is the protagonist and because we see things through her eyes she’s far from petrifying.

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The young cast of mortals, gods and monsters bring real passion to proceedings and The Gorgon Girl is at its best when they get to play it straight. Where the show veers off course is in having a narrator (the excellent Calum Telfer) in modern dress, reading the Sun and fiddling with a smartphone.

The end is a tad over-egged as the message – gods may spawn them but man makes monsters – is spelled out as if we’re a nursery class.

Until 14 August.