Search

Saved articles

You have not yet added any article to your bookmarks!

Browse articles

GDPR Compliance

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, Privacy Policy, and Terms of Service.

Alright Sunshine

 
Gillian Bain Review by Gillian Bain 5 Published: 4 Aug 2025 Pleasance Dome Show Dates: 30 Jul 2025-24 Aug 2025

“Never walk through the Meadows alone at night” – this is a common piece of advice that likely every Edinburgh resident has received at some point. Probably more times than they can count, especially if they happen to be a woman or a girl. As many times as we have heard this warning, most could also pair it with a happy memory: a sunny day, a part of everyday life. The Meadows can represent both the beating heart of the city and the other bloody organs we try to hide. Alright Sunshine tells the story of the Meadows on a day that's too hot, too heated and primed for trouble. Through the eyes of a young female police officer, we are taken on a journey that feels like a love letter to the city at the start, but ends with a thunderous roar of pain.

This is your chance to see some truly excellent new writing that is part of a bigger story

Wonderfools have been a growing force in Scottish theatre since their inception, and now, in their eighth year, they have become an unmissable presence. Based in Glasgow but with bold projects throughout the country, they have been at the forefront of connecting communities to the arts. What better company to deliver such a powerful piece about Edinburgh, by an Edinburgh playwright, to the biggest festival in the world, hosted by a city that can easily get lost in the noise.

Isla Cowan’s writing is a first-class demonstration of pacing, storytelling and complex character voice. She balances the poetic with the mundane, successfully incorporating local Edinburgh references and slang while not alienating an international audience. Nothing “shan” about that. The power of this writing has already earned her deserved recognition in Scotland, and this may be the moment her talent is shared even further. Words, of course, mean nothing in theatre without someone to say them, and delivering an absolute powerhouse of a performance is rising local talent Molly Geddes. With a masterful command of the stage, she perfectly moves between relaxed banter and complete devastation – honouring the importance of the subject matter at every step. Debbie Hannon also deserves her due as director. She does so much with no set, one actor and a play that requires both lightness and tension.

Together, Hannon, Geddes and Cowan form a real triple threat, representing Scotland’s bright, bold new generation of theatre-makers. Maybe one day stories like these will be less vital to tell, but for now, it is heartening to see companies like Wonderfools taking on the crisis of misogyny and violence against women with such empathy and urgency. This is your chance to see some truly excellent new writing that is part of a bigger story.

Related to this article:

Location:

Performances

The Blurb:

'It's like the sun casts a spell, some hypnotic solar stuff, and suddenly ordinary people dae terrible things…' When PC Nicky McCreadie responds to a mass brawl on Edinburgh’s Meadows, she finds herself face-to-face with a past she’d rather forget. Alright Sunshine is a razor-sharp monologue dissecting gender, power, and who owns public space. Critically acclaimed, hailed as ‘a memorable and hard-hitting piece of feminist theatre’ **** (Scotsman), the play ‘delivers a powerful punch’ **** (TheReviewsHub.com). From award-winning Edinburgh playwright Isla Cowan, supported by Tron Theatre and produced by Wonder Fools, the blazing powerhouse behind Fringe hit Òran.