This is one of the most evocative and deeply moving shows I have ever seen. Out of all the material at the fringe so far this year, it reached out, grabbed me by the heart and dragged me out of my embitterment with reality. Be it the recession or just general disillusionment, if you are feeling emotionally entrenched or in need to rediscover those lost experiences of joy, love and passion, this show will make you feel them. You are greeted with a glass of Cava to a long dining table and sit facing another audience member across the room at the McEwan hall. The setting eludes to a sense of lavish decoration with red cloths, candle light and the magnificent room. We are told that in this room, it is St Valentines Day or the international equivalents, every single day of the fringe. It starts by trying to settle the audience in with cheesy love ballads, the sense of build up balancing out the nervousness at how rubbish it would be if the whole show was the same as this. After this the actor and actress make you feel a deep emotional connection with the audience member opposite you, regardless of whom it is, you look into the others face while a tune plays, lighting dulls and the show transports you. Using a list of requests, the music continues with short stories that are brief, not altogether fascinating but achieve what they need to do. The actor and actress performing fluent and intimate actions such as chasing each other round the room like teenage lovers until the audience are entirely involved. Sheepish giggles are the by-product of the show as it makes us regress and forget all our troubles. It makes us recognise why our hard shells to emotion develop and how much better we are, however briefly, without them. A couple of ladies were left bordering on tears by the show, and many a man lost the swagger in his step. It finished with a slow dance with anyone in the room, but it could have been everyone we were dancing with. The energy and emotions in the room poured out of every person to create a wonderful feeling. This is not like the happy clappy crap talk of how great love is, there is no preaching, it shows us what goes through the happy lovers minds, and it does so spectacularly.
