Words: Katie McCulloch

Integrating hard hitting themes, threading through a romance, and keeping the audience on the edge of their seat is a hard feat. Salty Irina thrives on this. 

An unspecified Baltic town during an unknown time is home to Anna and Eireni. Turbulence and terror impede their daily life and they must take action against the attacks happening to immigrant shop keepers. They also must act on their interest toward one another and so a story takes place. A nuanced, romantic, and layered story. At first puzzling to piece together, fuelled by adrenaline, the play’s themes tie together and they both warm and chill the audience. 

Eve Leigh’s writing is excitingly unpredictable. Debbie Hannan’s direction is playful, tender and embraces the in the round venue. The actors are engaging and beautifully paint a picture of both pain and passion. The characters infiltrate a far-right festival, and the rhythm of the play darts the audience into danger. Francesca Knight is excellent as eerie fascist festival go er ‘Yana’. 

The crux of the piece is about love – in its raw, simplicity and in its tormenting complexity. Love between two liberally minded women from different backgrounds and how love manifests for a group of people with an opposing, fascist frame on life. 

Salty Irina is a powerfully punchy, anti-fascist romance.

Salty Irina
Roundabout @ Summerhall
14.30
7, 9-14, 16-21, 23-25, 27 Aug