A teenager walking away from her love in order to get closer to him; a woman literally returning the love her boyfriend gave to her; a widow camping in a stranger’s backyard to see the Northern Lights; a guy running into his ex at her bachelorette party - all in the town that isn’t quite anywhere, isn’t on the map; it’s Almost, Maine. These quirky little love stories all have certain things in common, with quite funny dialogue and lots of comic pauses, and strange characters - especially the women, who seem to always be in a tangle with their irrational romantic imaginations.
The cast is made up of students that made it through the selection process of the American High School Theatre Festival 2012. As the cast is all young and some of the stories are clearly about older characters, the audience are effectively going to watch a school play. Although they are a talented cast whose trip to Edinburgh is definitely not wasted, there were a few nervous actors whose stutters broke through their lines.
Overall the style is rather like a sitcom: cheery acting that often lacks raw emotion to keep the play upbeat and the jokes funny. Despite that, there are lots of funny moments and eccentric characters. If you are a romantic at heart, it is definitely worth checking out this collage of Almost, Maine’s love stories.
