EDINBURGH 2026: Review: PARASOCIAL ACTIVITY, Gilded Balloon
Parasocial Activity runs at Edfringe until 31 August
Jenny (Briony Martha) is a young Glaswegian woman living in London and she’s just gone through a breakup. Feeling fragile, she comes back up to Glasgow for a visit and to surprise her mum for Mother’s Day.
It’s March 2022 and James McAvoy is in a play in Glasgow (fans of attention to detail will be thrilled to notice the timings do indeed match up with his run in Cyrano). Jenny tried to get tickets, but it was an instant sellout. When meeting her mum in Costa on Sauchiehall St, she can’t believe her eyes when James McAvoy walks in and joins the queue. A chance encounter means the world to Jenny and the obsession starts to take hold.
Parasocial Activity is a very clever piece of theatre that will keep you on your toes throughout. The writing is sharp, funny and painfully relatable at times. It’s an interesting commentary on how much access fans should have to their idols and how social media can leave people with an impression that they have more of a connection than they do. Jenny encounters other fans at the stage door and scoffs at their dedicated accounts to “my Jamesy”- they clearly don’t know him like she does…
Briony Martha is brilliant and, despite some questionable actions, remains a sympathetic character throughout. Her family members are represented with microphone stands on stage and this technique is used well for comedic effect.
Parasocial Activity is a twisty piece of social commentary that goes to unexpected places and makes for a thrilling new piece of Scottish theatre.
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