Edinburgh 2024 Review: THE LONG RUN, Pleasance Courtyard

When I agreed to review a show about cancer, I was not looking forward to it. In fact, I really wasn't sure why I said yes in the first place. Luckily, Katie Arnstein’s new show The Long Run manages to make a tricky topic into something heartfelt, warm, and even, at times, funny.

The show follows Arnstein's experience of her mum's diagnosis and treatment for bowel cancer. Over many hours spent waiting in echoing hospital corridors, Arnstein builds an unlikely friendship with George, an elderly man who spends his days jogging up and down the radiology corridor. Eventually, she agrees to help him train for the seemingly impossible challenge of taking on the London marathon. 

Much of the show's charm comes from Arnstein’s welcoming, accessible style of storytelling – as an audience member, it feels like she’s speaking to you directly, with the perfect balance of confidence and vulnerability. Her distinct writing style features plenty of quips, puns, and self-aware nods, making it feel real as opposed to hidden behind theatrical artifice. New Diorama AD Bec Martin’s production is straightforward and stripped-back, its set comprising only of some cheap and cheerful bunting. Instead, the world of the story – a hospital corridor, a car ride, a race – are brought to life with words. However, it could be argued that a little more detail and colour would take The Long Run to the next level, especially when it comes to design and tech; the production seems to have been simplified slightly from its London run. 

Despite this being a self-penned, semi-autobiographical near-solo show, it really isn’t about Arnstein. Rather, its two heroes are her mum and George, two ordindary people dealing with the pain, both physical and emotional, that cancer inflicts. It’s refreshing and moving to see a show about everyday people with everyday problems, grounded in everyday life. Almost everyone has had some kind of experience with cancer, and part of what makes The Long Run so powerful is the way it builds a community out of its audience. 

By the time Arnstein’s show reached its conclusion, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. She’s managed to create surely one of the weepiest shows at the Fringe out of a story where no one dies – instead, the beauty and emotion of this piece comes from well-crafted storytelling and a touching, simple narrative. I’m incredibly glad I went. 

The Long Run runs at Pleasance Courtyard (Beneath) until 25 August

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