EDINBURGH 2023: Review: WALKING HOME, Gilded Balloon Teviot – Wine Bar

Almost every woman – and many men – will have felt the fear portrayed in Prickly Pear Production’s latest play, Walking Home. You know the one I mean: the fear that comes from hearing footsteps behind you on the street as you peer through the darkness. The kind that compels a quickened pace or a momentary pause, clutching keys in your fist like a lifeline. It's a primal fear we all know, a fear that dissipates only when the perceived threat moves on, granting a fragile sigh of relief.

Of course, some people won’t have felt that relief because the worst did happen as they walked home. We sadly recognise some of their names: Sarah Everard, Sabina Nessa and Paulina Dembska; names of those who were murdered doing the mundane – walking home. 

It’s in reaction to those murders – and the countless other sexual assaults that take place annually – that Walking Home was devised. It tells the fictional story of five colleagues in a magazine office as we discover that one of them, Carla, hasn’t come into work that day because something awful happened as she walked home the night before. The details are sketchy (as they so often are in the blurry aftermath of something so horrible), and each of the characters reacts differently to the realisation that things will never be quite the same while questioning whether they could (or should) have done more. 

Rooted in the authentic experiences of over 40 individuals from diverse backgrounds and walks of life, Walking Home was devised by the female-led Prickly Pear Productions. It is directed by Chantelle Micallef Grimaud and stars a strong cast in Sean Borg, Michela Farrugia, Alex Weenink and Zoë Alba Farrugia. 

Set in Malta, this is a dynamic exploration of sexual assault from the viewpoint of those who surround the victim. Whether the friend, the brother, the lover, or the victim themselves, it asked questions about how proactive we should be when looking out for one another, and how angry we should be when the worst happens. Should we be reticent or proactive, when both can be so easily misconstrued? 

It has many highlights, including the visual representation of feet on the pavement, and the multi-perspective storytelling. Yes, it could have pushed harder. But, equally, it also showed us enough to drive its important message home. 

This fast-paced fourhander also uses audience interaction powerfully and grips from start to finish. It calls on each of us to consider whether we’re doing enough to protect those at risk and whether, at the very least, we’re asking enough questions. It is interesting, captivating and poignant, with a strong cast and haunting storyline.

With its thought-provoking narrative, riveting performances, and essential message, the play implores us to be more than mere bystanders in a world where safety is far from guaranteed. This is one to watch – and remember – this Fringe. 

Walking Home plays in the Wine Bar at Gilded Balloon Teviot at 5.30pm until 28 August.   

To post a comment, you must register and login.

Test and expand your Broadway knowledge with our new game - The Broadway Match-Up! How well do you know your Broadway casting trivia?	Play the Daily Game, explore current shows, and delve into past decades like the 2000s, 80s, and the Golden Age. Challenge your friends and see where you rank!
How well do you know your Tony Awards history? Take our never-ending quiz of nominations and winner history and challenge your friends.	Can you beat your friends? Play today’s daily Broadway word game, featuring a new theatrically inspired word or phrase every day!