Fringe review: LITTLE DEATHS, Summerhall

Photo credit: Mihaela Bodlovic

Little Deaths is a poignant and beautifully crafted exploration of friendship that sneaks up on you, only to break your heart when you least expect it. The play follows the lives of Debs and Charlie from 1997 to 2022, offering glimpses into who they are as individuals and as friends. While the format of tracing relationships over time has been done before, when executed with the kind of detail and emotional depth found here, it becomes something truly special.

The movement direction by Jennifer Fletcher deserves high praise, as it infuses the friendship with a raw, palpable intimacy that makes the bond between Debs and Charlie feel authentic and deeply lived-in. Without this careful choreography, the 30-plus-year-old friendship at the heart of the play would not have been nearly as believable or affecting.

Actors Olivia Forrest and Rosa Robson deliver outstanding performances, transforming and growing both together and apart as their characters navigate the inevitable shifts that life brings. Their portrayal of the gradual drift that can occur in long-term friendships is both relatable and heartbreaking, resonating with anyone who has experienced the bittersweet reality of life pulling them away from someone they once felt inseparable from.

The play leaves you with a powerful urge to fight a little harder for the people you care about, reminding you that sometimes life takes control, and there’s no one to blame. Little Deaths captures this blamelessness with grace, showing us that a friendship is full of "little deaths"—small moments of loss that accumulate over time—and that there’s often nothing we can do to prevent them.

Amy Powell Yeates' writing is both endearing and honest, filled with self-deprecating humour that will make you laugh, and moments of vulnerability that might bring you to tears. Claire O'Reilly's direction ensures that the story unfolds with a natural rhythm, keeping the audience fully engaged from start to finish.

Little Deaths is a rare piece of theatre that shakes you into appreciation for the people you choose to have in your life. It’s a beautiful, bittersweet reminder of the fragility of relationships and the importance of cherishing them while you can. This is a show that’s absolutely worth your time and one that will stay with you long after the final curtain falls.

***** Five stars

Reviewed by: Beatriz Do O

Little Deaths plays at Summerhall’s Old Lab until 26 Aug, with further info here.