The young Edwards cast tackle Lee Hall’s adaptation of Goldoni’s mildly bawdy romp with great gusto and their obvious enjoyment draws the audience in from before the beginning, when Mike Tyas’s Truffaldino bursts into the foyer to invite us to come and see the show. This is no stilted translation of the eighteenth century Italian script but twenty-first century street English with, one guesses, no small measure of improvisation, as the amusing story of frustrated love, roguish servant, cross-dressing and slapstick deceit charges along.

The acting talents of the cast are uneven but slick directing of the outrageously silly plot, some strong leads and infectious enthusiasm carry us along. Outstanding are Mike Tyas as the eponymous servant, illiterate but clever enough to dupe his two masters (one of whom is a mistress), Natalie Kane as the wimpish woman in love, Clarice, able to turn her howls of grief on and off as with a tap, Luke Moulding as Pantaloon, her father, and Aimee Robertson as feisty lady’s maid Smeraldina, who earns special admiration from feminists in the audience until she turns out to be as wetly in love as Clarice (and with Truffaldino, of all people!)

This is Edwards’ eleventh consecutive appearance at the Fringe and their tenth at this venue. It maintains their reputation for producing youth theatre of the highest standard. You will struggle to leave the theatre without a smile on your face.

Phil Lucas