EDINBURGH 2019: Review: RUST, The Space

Rust is a new musical from Cambridge University Musical Theatre Society about addiction, mental illness and recovery.

Evie is admitted to an inpatient facility at age 20 due to an eating disorder and various other undiagnosed issues. She's been known to services for a long time but slipped through the net as she wasn't deemed 'skinny' enough to be treated for an eating disorder.

What I really enjoyed about Rust is that it acknowledges that someone doesn't need a 'reason' to be unwell. It isn't overly sensational or dramatic and it states that recovery isn't perfect and that the patients will have slip-ups.

The relationships between the patients are quite touching. Initially, there is a little bit of a competition over who is more unwell but over 28 days they settle into a sort of dysfunctional family dynamic.

The songs are good and well-performed by a talented cast and a live band on stage. As this is a young student cast, it can initially be hard to picture someone as a 50-something alcoholic but you do get lost in the story quite quickly.

Rust is a piece I'd definitely like to see developed into a longer production. It handles potentially distressing content with care and tackles important issues.

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/rust

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