EDINBURGH 2023: Review: LORNA ROSE TREEN: SKIN PIGEON, Pleasance Courtyard, The Attic

Lorna Rose Tree: Skin Pigeon is a character show, which is made abundantly clear from the giant pile of clothes in the centre of the stage. This becomes Treen’s little backstage area, a place for her to change between characters during applause breaks. Indeed, each time a new character arrives on stage, they emerge from the pile of clothing like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis, surprising everyone with its bright colours and patterns. 

One of the aspects of Skin Pigeon that I struggled with was how most characters only appeared for a few minutes (if that). Most of the characters that only appeared for a quick one-liner or two were my favourites, including one in which she portrayed one of the musicians who went down with the Titanic. Unfortunately, the characters I liked the least tended to be the ones that were on stage for most, particularly a “normal girl” with something not-so-normal. 

My favourite character of Treen’s was one in which she plays an overly aggressive Brownie Girl Scout, complaining to the audience about her mum’s new friend Darren and showing off the different badges she has received, including some slightly horrifying ones. The Girl Scout appears to be the main character of the show, returning several times and having one of the most dramatic scenes in Skin Pigeon (and a scene that gives a bit of context to the show’s title).

The audience interaction can be a bit awkward at times, particularly in one moment when Treen is trying to get an audience member to spray her with water, and ends up getting quite a bit wetter than expected. Another scene had some audience interaction that had me internally begging her not to pick me. Most of the interactions were unnecessary and did not really add anything to the show as a whole. There was, however, a pretty great moment when Treen told the joke that won her Dave’s Funniest Joke of the Fringe and the audience burst into applause, an unexpected yet sweet moment. 

Ultimately, Lorna Rose Tree: Skin Pigeon is a great way for Treen to show off her talents as a character actor, seamlessly switching between her cast of ridiculous characters. It takes someone special to be able to imitate a dolphin, an aggressive PE teacher, a cowboy with guns for hands, a ghost, and others within an hour, but Treen makes it look effortless. I would have loved to see characters receive more stage time, giving Treen the chance to tell the audience their story. 

Lorna Rose Treen: Skin Pigeon runs at Pleasance Courtyard, The Attic at 16:35 on 27 August.

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