4 stars 

Words: Rebecca Moore
Image: Hugo Glendinning

Man or Bear is a fast-paced, darkly comic play by Sarah Hehir, following three generations of women trying to rebuild their lives under the shadow of male violence. With one ominous reality: something bad is going to happen. 

With effortless scripted transitions from dark to heartwarming humor; the actors, Lesley Ewen as Connie, friend and landlady, Amaia Naima Aguinaga as Angel the daughter, and Katie Hurley as Paige the mother, successfully engage the audience within a poignant emotional journey. There is a sense of catharsis that the elephant/bear in the room can be finally talked about, with raw honesty and realism. 

The set was minimal yet intimate, with simple stage lighting used resourcefully well. At a brilliant moment of much-needed relief, the three women dance wildly in their kitchen, lights turning to disco hues, whilst singing and dancing along to aptly worded pop songs. Which added nuance to a difficult subject matter and evoked a human relatability between audience and actors. Watching the women support one another to rebuild their lives with ominous threats around them gave poignant strength to their sisterhood and reminds us as women to still come together in spite of it all. 

Whilst the minimalism of the stage set and direction was sufficient for the setting and budget of a small venue fringe show, there is definitely room for more investment in the props, costume design, and movement direction, which would have added a needed visual consistency and atmospheric value to the show. 

Overall this is an intelligently directed play that deserves to be at the top of the list for shows to see at the fringe and opens the lid on a discussion we all need to be having beyond the viral question; ‘Would you rather be alone in the woods with a man or a bear?’. 

Man or Bear
The Red Lecture Theatre, Summerhall
13.45
5-30 August