EDINBURGH 2019: Review: THE WASP, Greenside

The Wasp opens in a cafe. Heather (Tara Lacey) has contacted Carla (Jo Sammons) and asked her to meet for a coffee- twenty years since they last saw each other. It's hinted at that Carla made Heather's life a bit of a misery at school but Carla shrugs it off with a vague apology.

Heather has an unusual proposal for Carla. She's looked her up on Facebook and is aware that she's pregnant with her fifth child and is struggling financially. While Carla is horrified at what she's being asked to do- the money she's being offered is very enticing.

At an hour and a half, The Wasp is considerably longer than most shows at the Fringe but I found myself so gripped that the time just flew in. The two performers onstage are utterly captivating throughout in this exhilarating adaptation of Morgan Lloyd Malcolm's play.

I didn't really know anything about the plot beforehand and I'm quite glad I didn't because it made it all the more shocking. The direction is excellent and the cast excel at building almost unbearable tension in the theatre.

The Wasp is a delightfully dark and twisty thriller and this is a fantastic staging of it from Peppered Wit Productions.

https://pepperedwit.co.uk