Slice

This promising play-writing début from Mel Giedroyc (of Mel & Sue fame) arrives at the Fringe fresh from a successful run at Glasgow’s Oran Mor earlier this year, and has lost none of its emotional verve in transit.

Three troubled sisters congregate in the kitchen of their family home, their mother dying in the room next door. Petty put-downs and awkward situations abound as our trio slowly reveal themselves and their troubled relationship with a cruel, bullish matriarch.

Giedroyc has painted three interesting characters: uptight, cake-making Victoria, highly-strung mum of five Charlotte and loose-lipped, emotionally cold Madeleine. Giedroyc ramps the pace up nicely, Mother’s officious voiceover on how to make the perfect Victoria sponge finally pushing her youngest daughter to breaking point, and allowing her sisters to finally let vent in a bittersweet finale. If it doesn’t quite know the measure of how many parts sad or how many parts funny it should be, that’s okay. This is an entertaining, wonderfully acted, lunchtime romp nonetheless.

Gilded Balloon, 622 6552, until 27 Aug (not 13, 20), 1pm, £9--£10 (£8--£9).