Edinburgh 2002

Fringe

Spinning Jenny
Pleasance Dome

Stuart Simpson

Spinning Jenny is billed as a 'comedy with a giant twist'. The twist is quite literal; half way into the play the set is turned to face the back of the stage, the action starts again from another perspective.

The plot is a refreshingly straightforward, involving adultery, betrayal and lies. All of which come out at Jenny's birthday party, a staple of all sitcoms.

The comedy, apart from the farce of the party and the farce which is the collective lives of the guests, revolves around the tactless drunk, Jenny herself, and the opportunities created by telling a story twice. There are several punchlines in the first half of the play, and the joke in the latter, all pulled off with good effect (or is that affect). Unfortunately the spatterings of glib one-liners that are needed to keep the comedy going are never quite pulled off. This leads to the main problem from which the performance suffers, although not fatally.

With the possible exception of the hostess, the cast just didn't seem confident enough. Often one line seemed to be spoken for the sole reason of getting to the next, any silence was full of expectation for what should follow, expectation on the part of the actors, not of the the audience or of the characters. There were occasions when the dialogue would speed up, and the cast would show how they could play to the audience and work off each other. Occasions which will make you wonder what was happening the rest of the time.

If the cast begin to become comfortable with their roles, and begin to realise that for the most part the audience was enjoying the play, the play will improve. But while the actors remain shy of the audience, this comedy will be hampered by the hamming it up that is the fall-back position for those who are afraid to act.

Until 26 August: 13.20 (1hr)