EDINBURGH 2025: Review: PICKLED REPUBLIC, Anatomy Lecture Theatre At Summerhall

Described by its creator as “50 minutes of vegetable insanity”, this surrealist and entirely enjoyable hour of physical theatre, tragicomedy and puppetry has a certain ‘je nais sais quoi’... or is it giardiniera? Ruxy Cantir brings this zany, piccalilli performance to Summerhall as part of the Made in Scotland showcase. 

Glorious, theatrical cabaret vignettes range from a mouldy tomato yearning to fulfil its potential to a suited-and-booted pickle having a rave round the jar. Inbetween, we meet a proud mama and her existentially-panicked baby carrot, an intense and palpably poetic onion and a sultry potato lounge singer past her expiration date. It’s all a feast for the eyes, pardon the pun. 

A more serious, sour turn takes place with a slapstick, yet shocking, tomato-based miming of empathy burn-out, making a shrewd commentary on the powerlessness felt all over the world of late. (No tomatoes have been wasted as a part of this production; they’re turned into soup, apparently!)

The ‘Best Before’ date sticker of 30/7/2025 stuck onto the ‘lid’ on stage is a subtle and clever indication that the brine has gone bad, offering narrative colour to the wacky world of these larger-than-life veggies. Perhaps it is also a silly and self-deprecating detail, given that the festival started previews on the 30th July. It isn’t accurate, though - the funny hasn’t gone off but has finely fermented; the run is sold out for the remainder of August. 

Excellent, produce-aplenty, female-led clowning is having a moment at the Fringe. What a niche! For more of this, see Elf Lyons: Raven and Karen Houge: DREAMGIRL.

Pickled Republic is at Anatomy Lecture Theatre At Summerhall until 25 August

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