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Weather Girl - Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2024 (UK)
Written by Brian Watkins, Directed by Tyne Rafaeli. Performed by Julia McDermott
With its entire season already sold out, it’s not hard to see why 'Weather Girl' is a stand out amongst the Fringe crowd
Reviewed by Amber Spooner
Francesca Moody Productions
Season: Aug 9-11, 13-18, 20-26, Summerhall
5 STARS
Taken from their marketing material: “Stacey is a California weather girl. An oversexed and underpaid harbinger of our dying planet. But today, her regular routine of wildfires, prosecco and teeth whitening descends into a scorched earth catastrophe, before she discovers something that will save us all. A dizzying rampage into the soul of American strangeness.”
Once the play starts it grips you tight and doesn’t let you go. The writing is fast paced and cutting. The voice is bitter but ready for a fight. Playwright Brian Watkins of Amazon’s Outer Range has written an electrifying script that has so many twists and turns it feels surreal but yet deeply rooted in reality.
The character of Stacey first appears to be a classic California girl. Blonde, beautiful and a hot mess. Drinking prosecco out of a Stanley cup and going on dates with tech bros she can’t be bothered to remember the name of. She’s amazing at her job. As her world is falls into shambles she’s able to put on a brave face and cheerily smile, getting everyone pumped for the weekend.
With incredible dialogue and powerful performances this one is not to be missed
The difference is that Stacey already knows what most people are refusing to accept. There are wildfires ravaging California and she knows that it’s only going to get worse. She’s worried about the smoke and the air quality, something that Californian’s themselves are currently experiencing. Her boss however wants her to say that everything’s fine, there’s nothing to worry about and it’s getting harder and harder for Stacey to say so. Watkins taps so accurately into our climate anxiety and gives a voice to our anger as the world burns and nothing is being done about it.
The set design is minimal choosing to switch Stacey between different types of microphones and lighting equipment to indicate her changing location, it’s incredibly effective. This switching adds to the chaos and dystopian feel of the story without providing us with a distraction throughout, instead, we’re tuned into the conversation.
Julia Dermott’s performance is electric and captivating. She brings everything to the stage and is in total command of her dialogue. She so clearly paints a picture of a woman who is between a rock and a hard place. Her stories of dull tech bro dates are relatable but it’s her downfall that is especially gut wrenching.
With incredible dialogue and powerful performances this one is not to be missed this Fringe Festival – get a ticket if you can!
Theatre (new writing, comedy)
Venue - 26
Summerhall - Cairns Lecture Theatre
Times vary. Click 'Dates, times and prices' to view the calendar
Aug 9-11, 13-18, 20-26
1 hour
Suitability: 12+ (Guideline)
Country: United Kingdom - England
Group: Francesca Moody Productions
Warnings and additional info: Strong language/swearing, contains haze.
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