Sometimes, particularly in Edinburgh, you see a show that you don't really rate, but that still demonstrates talent. This is the case with Rory Mullarkey's comedy, which is almost too clever for its own good. Mullarkey's show combines elements from The Overcoat, Gogol's 19th-century story about a man who believes a new coat will change his life, with a modern-day rom-com about an ill-suited couple. The result is an uneasy mix of the overly facetious and the genuinely touching.
There are plenty of entertaining moments along the way. Upon their initial meeting, the central couple's conflicting impressions of each other are cleverly voiced in monologue form. Elsewhere, Mullarkey also gives us what must be the world's only sexual fantasy involving the inventor of the telephone.
But Mullarkey fails to keep things simple with these split stories, never passing up a joke even if it adds nothing to the story or characterisation. The show is at its best when Mullarky is least self-consciously present as a writer and gives the story room to breathe. In these moments, Coat becomes much more than a comedy and offers genuinely touching observations on loneliness and the huge feelings that engulf little lives.
· Until August 26. Box office: 0870-745 3083.
