The teenager, the bride-to-be, the exhausted young mother, the lonely widow. Yes, modern woman is here in all her many stereotypes, although who is to say that cliches may not sometimes be true. In fact, they are funny and often touching in these four monologues deftly written by Joanna Murray-Smith and performed with astonishing aplomb by Caroline O'Connor. She's so good, so remarkably versatile, that by the end you've forgotten there is only one person on stage.
That's not to say there aren't flaws. The first monologue about the bride-to-be is a tad over the top in its depiction of a ditzy Bridget Jones-type gold-digger who knows her marriage will be a sham but still puts lifestyle before true feelings. It is funny, but not quite as viciously funny as it should be because it lacks subtlety. There is something over-manic, too, about the final teenager-and-talent-contest scenario.
But the middle two monologues are little gems, as observant as anything in Alan Bennett's Talking Heads - and considerably less static. The story of the guilt-ridden woman who knows she can never be a good enough mother is beautifully judged in its mixture of comedy and depression. There is a similar balancing act in the tale of the elderly widow whose armour of loneliness is unexpectedly pierced. It enough to give you back your faith in the one-woman show.
· Until August 30. Box office: 0131-226 2428.
