EDINBURGH 2018 - Review: THE EGG IS A LONELY HUNTER, Summerhall

Sophie has an irrational fear of eggs, unfortunately made public after judging a local egg and spoon race.

A local boy likes to taunt her with eggs sneaked into her path, but when he disappears, she must follow a trail of the shelled terrors to find out whether he has been kidnapped by a roving black hole or the possible wizard on a child's bike.

A monologue by Hannah Mamalis, The Egg Is A Lonely Hunter is a wry, absurd piece that finds humour in both the mundane and the extraordinary, from talking horses to being overly conscious of one's body.

Mamalis is an engaging performer, with an intense, considered delivery that provokes plenty of laughs from her audience. Despite the simple, static staging, she manages to keep our attention for nearly an hour simply with stance and facial expressions.

This work is at its best when it indulges in the surreal humour of the oddness other characters find normal, particularly the amusing story of a picket against a sudden and inexplicable black hole for locating itself suspiciously close to a primary school.

Towards the end, the production seems to be trying to reach for something profound, but doesn't quite manage to connect with it, jarring with what's come before.

A quirky piece, well delivered, it needs something extra to draw its cracking moments of surreal humour into a more cohesive whole.

The Egg is a Lonely Hunter is at Summerhall until 26 August (not 13)

Image credit: Eoghan O'Brien

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