Showing @ Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh until Mon 25 Aug (not 12) @ 12:00

Two twenty-four year-old women, one from the 80s and one from today, stand in a shop fitting room side by side on stage. They talk to themselves about which outfits they look best in and wonder what the coming years will bring. The lyrical text flows from both performers with the rambling pontificating of someone enjoying voicing their inner concerns. Movements are generally stylised but simple, occasionally switching into alluring set pieces of choreography that blur reality with ambitions and anxieties.

There are numerous generational differences: fashion; hair; music; technology, and this ream of obvious visual variations is contrasted against themes that span the decades: body image worries; experiences of men; dreams of the future – some things are embedded in human nature. The differences that are most troubling however, are how their aspirations vary: The 80s lady dreams of a high-power job, a husband and a detached house, whereas the contemporary woman is concerned about finding employment and being able to pay rent. The observation is a potent reminder of the difficulties faced by many modern young women. Portmanteau’s contemplative production makes you consider that although we hope things will improve – for ourselves, for the future – they often don’t.

Showing as part of Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2014