Acid’s Reign continues at Forth at Pleasance Courtyard until 31 August 2026 (except 12).
Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
This is a fabulous and musically sophisticated show that is compellingly ‘now’. It fits a niche that no one seemed to notice until this show came along. There is something for everyone – visually, verbally, vocally – in this show’s unique combination of attractions. Luke Howarth and Evie Fehilly’s book (also lyrics) ask can the future wait? No, not really. This is not a passive theatrical experience, either: the audience will be called upon to participate.
‘Renaissance mam’ Alex Acid is on their way to audition as a drag artist, and luckily for Edinburgh, stumbles in high heels slap-bang into a protest in an alleyway near Buckingham Palace, is swiftly handcuffed by a police officer (covered in sparkling diamantes) to a performance art troupe, and the rest is herstory.
It’s hard to imagine a better beginning, especially when our celebrity wannabe is tasty Victoria Scone. Time for Dinah Mite (Scarlett Harlett), Micky Steele (Se Carr) and Ria Listic (Gigi Zahir) to make up a climate cabaret with Alex in the clink. With the earth running out of steam, this high-voltage group connects to blast off (or at least pose) from the brink of Glastonbury 2019’s small stage.
The sonic atmosphere drowns in deep throbbing bass guitar-generated thunder, the chorus ‘Time to Act Now’ clears and the scene transforms into 2026.
Olive Branch (Ash Weir), a teenybopper fan dressed in green, displays a charming ‘concrete dance’ and wheedles in-between imagined slabs to replace Dinah who has followed the heartbeat of capitalism, and defected to TV.
All of this is happening in the nick of time, thank goodness, because the climate crisis is urgent, and the new gang needs funding. Tiara in hand, Alex begs for help from the full-throated Dinah, dressed as a modern-day Marie Antoinette in furs, hotpants and a tail, with money seemingly more important to her than morals.
Tempted to just have a nice time and nice things while continuing to campaign (and why not?), Alex impressively does the splits on stage, downs a vodka and the show goes on… into the planning stage of a TV climate change hotspot.
The new drag band combo plays and sing a game ‘Never have I ever…’ People get upset, true personalities emerge and the earth starts to tremble. Now it’s the music (and MD Alex Maynard) that take the lead. Paying homage to Chopin’s ‘Raindrop Prelude’, the heartrending pianism projects Ria’s heartbeat through a persistent pedal note, while the music seems to sob with her tears.
Drooping minor chords and soulful plagal cadences create an overwhelming sense of despair as we contemplate Ria’s legacy in an unimaginably bleak future, where the remains are ‘all turned into dust’.
There’s a quick costume change as the mood becomes more upbeat mood during a live TV broadcast during which the performers leg it into the crowd. It’s quiz time for those who have ‘got that climate bug’ and are ‘Feelin’ Smug’ about doing something green every day. Avoid AI and you will get the biggest cheer, be instantly Instagrammable and then you can go sustainable shopping…
Calling itself ‘explosive’ is part of Relish Theatre’s campaign to make the climate hot again. Inappropriate marketeering is also a key part of Acid Reign’s plot, and its electrifying fan dance choreographed by David Allwood is just the TikTok. Phones illuminate as things heat up even more with an accompanying jingle for the climate queers.
Just when it feels like everything has descended into a post-pomo parody, up jumps Olive with an extraordinarily well-articulated patter song, an even more impressive crescendo and a twirl — and, true to their grassroots spirit, wriggles out of it all. Micky minds the gap as glasses of Kylie wine are raised to his absolutely belting rebirth as the coolest of cool jazz kings who with his glorious swing band number ‘Last Minute King’ cramps everyone else’s style.
This poignantly magnificent and most-inspired moment from the overall sparkling score composed by Gabriel Chernick with Stephanie Singer leaves us emotionally suspended. It appears the door is left propped open for Dinah’s domination of the ‘eco-Queens’ (minus Micky) to continue, but suspense is created by the cadential message that has gone through to Ria in Alex’s finest Judi Dench cut-glass tones: ‘Have a good time at the demo.’
This is just the climax the story needs. The ‘tickled green’ TV show turns on itself. Alex’s dolphin impression is the switch that finally ignites their eco conscience and a #FIGHT begins, which ends up with the foursome back in the jail. Fast forward to Glastonbury 2027 if things go well, but what will happen is up to all of us as this impressive cast sings us out to ‘Why Should I?’
Charlotte Purkis
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