A dash of disco diehard feels, a glug of growing old gregariously, and a splash of silliness fills hearts to the brim in Dorothy James and Andy Manjuck’s brilliant puppet tragicomedy, Bill’s 44th.

The story of one man hell bent on having a good time, we find Bill readying his front room for a night of birthday hijinks, with lashings of liquor, party hats and the sweet promise of pals to enjoy the celebrations with. However, as the hours tick by and the prospect of spending the evening alone becomes a possibility, things become increasingly bizarre as helium-filled rowdies and a mysterious VHS threaten to wreck the vibe.

Our puppet hero is thrillingly brought to life by James and Manjuck’s skill and physicality, with Bill’s movement and expression made real with delicate gestures and big hearted humour. As he becomes increasingly under the influence, his dive into reminiscence is poignantly captured in small scale, as the reasons behind his meticulous planning and desire to be amongst others becomes clear.

Dealing with the weight of grown up feelings, and still realising the need to keep a light touch, is a difficult balance to strike with actual flesh and blood actors, but being able to convey all those ideas within the medium of puppetry and without a single word of dialogue is genuinely wonderous. And just like Bill’s fully jacked bowl of party punch, the play’s emotional content kicks like a mule when the time comes. The slightest of criticisms for a slightly saggy middle section as bibulous Bill loses touch with reality, but the sight of our protagonist sashaying to 70’s lounge music with a life size crudité companion will take some beating.

My advice – RSVP the invite rapidly before the this run inevitably sells out.

Bill’s 44th is at Underbelly Cowgate – Belly Button until Sun 25 Aug 2024 at 18:55