Daisy doesn’t have a job. Doesn’t have any friends. Doesn’t really speak to her mum. Doesn’t care about anything much. But she’s forced into finding work when her savings run out and rocks up at a primary school as a learning support assistant, imagining she won’t care a whole lot about that either.

Squidge is a fast, funny window into the yawning void that is grief. Tiggy Bayley’s script does a wonderful job of steering us through the myriad of states associated with grief: detachment, anger, distraction, guilt, and gut-wrenching sorrow. Daisy’s story unfolds alongside her relationship with the wee boy she’s supporting at school, Paddy. And a story that might seem to be about the snowflake state evolves into something else altogether. Selwin Hulme-Teague‘s direction is considered, containing the emotion until it can’t be contained any more.

If you’ve recently experienced bereavement, it might be handy to know that this story features freak accidents and addiction alongside death. Alongside an exploration of how a person copes with something they didn’t think they could cope with, Bayley offers a perspective on the extent to which both society and the education system is equipped to cope with children with any sort of additional needs (not very, is her answer) and the complex repercussions of addiction on family members.

Her timing is spot on, her delivery self-deprecating and the overall effect is poignant and thought-provoking. Though the subject matter is tough, Bayley neither drowns in it nor treats it too lightly. Like the best comedy, there’s a lot to think about in here but first and foremost, it’s a well-observed, smartly written, very funny one woman show.

Squidge is at Pleasance Courtyard – Below until Mon 26 Aug (except Mon 19) at 13:50