Car and Raw, the previous two parts of Chris O'Connell's trilogy about young people growing up in Britain today, were both high energy but often low impact pieces of theatre whose ranting and raving often got in the way of the real emotion. Kid is a far more reflective show, and all the better for it. Not only are his kids growing up, but O'Connell is maturing as a writer too.
Lee and Zoe are expecting their first baby and have just moved into a new house. But rather than look forward happily to the birth the pair are eaten up with tension. Lee, after teenage and early adult years of crime and prison, is desperately trying to go straight, Zoe's 13-year-old sister who would really rather be a boy, has moved in with them, and now the past is coming back to haunt them in the shape of K, their former class-mate and Lee's best buddy. Quite who the title refers to, remains cleverly ambiguous.
By no stretch of the imagination is this an elegantly crafted play, but it is gripping drama, and, as always when O'Connell writes about the young and troubled, it has a whiff of authenticity. It is also very well acted in a production by Mark Babych that ratchets up the tension to good effect to tell a tight little story of how hard it is to grow up and face your responsibilities.
· Until August 25. Box office: 0131-556 6550.
