EUTC’s Candlewasters showcase proves that new writing works best when it does not play it safe. Six wildly different and amazing pieces came together to provide a brilliant evening of theatre, moving seamlessly from camp comedy to heavier themes such as loss and grief.
Opener Sire and Madge – written and directed by Elle Catherine – is an inventive, ’80s-esque reimagining of Pete Burns’ memoir. The scene had already started whilst the audience were taking their seats, with a stressed suited individual commanding attention through doing press-ups and pacing. What follows is a fever dream of shifting power dynamics, the decline in fame of a former gay icon. It is delightfully acted and aptly underscored by Queen’s ‘I Want to Break Free’ – while the characters are ironically trapped in their fraught lives.
Shred All the Evidence is a bold two-hander – directed by Effi Blestas-White – following the corporate nightmare of two individuals trying to avoid being caught for fraud. Anna (Hattie Foden-Ellis) at first ostensibly appears relaxed, sipping alcohol to numb the tension in contrast to the visibly distressed Freddy (Sam Gearing). Genius touches included the constant ringing of a telephone punctuating the strained atmosphere, symbolising the outside reality the characters shy away from. This Groundhog Day-like loop forces the pair to realise how trapped they are.
Next was the emotionally charged monologue Sunlight, a powerful exploration of not just death but also remembrance. The perspective of the deceased narrator is incredibly nuanced, from the opening action of her meticulously cleaning her boots, to reminiscing on her childhood. This scene is crafted with attentive detail down to the top the speaker wears – reading “Future is Now”, it reflects the permanence of death. In contrast to comedic elements in the first pieces, the sombre gravity of this scene hit remarkably hard.
Trouble in Paradise – directed by Florrie Prichard-Jones – pivoted to some much-needed levity with its presentation of Adam and Eve’s post-Eden debacles. Eve (Alexandra Conroy-Ryan) is delightfully witty but also portrayed as the epitome of “sin” in her red and black outfit and skinny jeans, meanwhile the endearingly gormless Adam (Hugo Edgoose) dons a chiselled, body-builder figure. The couple hilariously grapple with the difficulties of being kicked out of paradise, such as being literally cut off from God with their phone calls unreturned.
Leaning fully into absurdism, Missing Piece – directed by Safa May-Alli who also directed Sunlight – is a portrayal of the ultimate dysfunctional family. Both hysterically funny and concerning, an overbearing mother and seemingly lobotomised father in gorgeously ostentatious pyjamas welcome their son home from an ambiguous destination. The boy is an outsider in his own bonkers family home – from being told to sit down despite having no chair, to being served tea that would send any Brit into a coma. We learn why his sister hides doing puzzles upstairs, and why rain is perpetually falling.
Ending as strongly as the start, “Wait, Waiter, Wait!” delivers pure slapstick joy. Directed by Beau Wolton, a hapless waiter’s catastrophic first day escalates brilliantly – customers used as coat hangers, accidental face-slapping, trousers falling during fly-swatting. The physical comedy is spot-on, alongside a satisfying closure to theatrical chaos.
The Candlewasters’ versatility across wildly different styles – alongside magnificent directing and acting – makes for an excellent show with consistent originality and ingenuity. Particular standouts were Shred All the Evidence for its gripping content and black comedy, and Missing Piece for its unorthodox absurdism. Edinburgh’s new writing scene is well and truly thriving.
Photo by Marla MacCallum Hall