EDINBURGH 2026 Review: THIS IS HOW I GOT ARRESTED…, Zoo Playground
Runs until 30 August.
Sophie Finch grew up on an estate five minutes down the road from the posh part of town, surrounded by kooky neighbours and a problematic family. So, how did she get an ankle tag in Mallorca? Azaelia Slade presents a brash, mouthy monologue that comes with its own terms and conditions. Names have been altered; locations have been changed.
We watch as Sophie gradually throws herself off the deep end. We can see it coming, but we can’t stop her. Slade involves the crowd from the get-go, handing out character cards that include us in her progressive descent. She starts from her early childhood, detailing her messed-up upbringing. The piece has a harrowingly sad undertone.
Her sleazy dad is an art (read: cocaine) dealer and, obviously, she gets into it too as soon as she grows up. She runs us through the major events that have led her to Spain at a breakneck pace. Slade sprints, jumps, and dances tirelessly, establishing an idiosyncratic physical language. She puts her whole being into the performance, consumed by the story and engrossed in the act of setting the record straight.
Slade is remarkably entertaining, but the play is, ultimately rather unoriginal. The story strictly relies on a classist trope and only offers a superficial exploration of the class discourse. Yet, her gags are funny and the structural form makes it worth seeing. Danny Dyer would get a proper a kick out of this show.
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