Rainbow (*****)

Zoo Southside, 16:45 (1hr 25m)

To engross an audience for over an hour at the Festival can be a difficult task. The toughness of the task is magnified when the temperature of the venue is sub-tropical. This however didn’t pose a problem for the three strong cast of Royal Court Young Writer Emily Jenkins’s latest play Rainbow. With three brilliantly told stories interlocking by the tiniest of details, Jenkins’s examines human behaviour in a time of crisis. No actor stood out from the others in this performance as all three were superb.

Oliver Ashworth, playing Russ, gave a gritty performance as a young man desperate to earn a living by any means. James Hender does well playing a secondary school teacher who has become fed up with life’s offerings. Unhappy with his current situation he breaks the mould and so-called rules that have been holding him back. And lastly, Kyle Treslove is brilliant as a misunderstood teenager constantly wishing he was someone else.

Jenkins’s direction was excellent and the limited set and dimmed lighting definitely added to the mood of the piece. These three different tales showed audiences how closely people can be connected without even realising it. A pacey performance and tight writing made this such a strong production by Sell-a-door. Don’t miss it!