Michael Cox reviews a production that has potential but 'is a let down'.
Adults has everything going for it. Kieran Hurley is one of Scotland’s best writers who’s responsible for some of the strongest plays over the last few decades, director Roxana Silbert is an excellent director with an impressive track record and the cast of three make for a terrific ensemble.
And yet, the frustrating fact is that the finished production is a let down—a meal with all the right ingredients that just doesn’t come out of the kitchen as hoped.
It’s hard to pinpoint why it doesn’t soar as it should because there is nothing wrong with it—in fact, it gets a lot of things right. The set-up promises much: Zara is running a brothel and discovers that the next client for her colleague is in fact her former teacher from years back. The production addresses many interesting themes, including sex, financial strife, generational conflicts and identity crises, and it does so with both humour and seriousness.
And yet, each scene feels like it’s a beat off the mark. Sometimes a plot point feels forced and other times characters behave in ways that stretch beyond credulity. Some moments feel like they are padded out to justify a longer running time while others seem too quick and undeveloped.
There’s an excellent play buried somewhere within the text, but at this moment it hasn’t been allowed to shine. The talent of everyone involved is apparent from the start, and there are moments that work wonderfully: taboos are smashed, laughs are earned and interesting points are made. It just feels like Adults isn’t being allowed to mature into the piece it needs to be.
Adults performs in the Traverse One space at the Traverse Theatre as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Performances are at alternative times until Sunday Aug 27th. Image by Mihaela Bodlovic.
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