Showing @ theSpace @ Surgeons Hall, Edinburgh until Sun 24 Aug @ 20:40

In a typical shared flat – beanbags and beerstains and Pot-Noodles congealing on the sink, live three repellent young people who occupy themselves with fantasies and longing for something to break their boredom. Their only interaction is with Mr Stringer, their landlord; a grey little man with a black and white dog, constantly turning up unannounced to inform them of the latest atrocity on the news. For his three young tenants he is guilty of the worst crime; being lonely and boring. So to punish him for his heinousness they decide to kidnap his dog.

There’s much to admire in this show, particularly the performances. David Hayman is excellent  – if sporting the dodgiest London accent this side of the Thames – and his tenants played by Lorna Heap, Lucy Mangan and Michael Clarke are gleefully vicious, like toddlers deprived of the naughty step.

Apart from having the feel of a modern Grimm’s fairytale there’s nothing cohesive about this play. It seems to be suffering from an identity crisis. There’s some Theatre of the Absurd a layer of Pinter, some farce and a pinch of Berkoff. Because none of these ingredients blend together it makes the brilliantly strange and unsettling ending feel like some Deus ex machina device rather than an actual conclusion. More curiosity piece than great theatre, Darkle has some wonderful moments, but ultimately suffers from an identity crisis.

Showing as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2014