Fringe review: ANYTHING THAT WE WANTED TO BE, Adam Lenson - Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Everyone has one big decision to make in their lives. The one that make you ask, but 'what if?' Somewhere out there, there is a you that made that choice and there's another you that didn't.

Adam Lenson merges gig, memoir and lecture about his big decision. Fifteen years previously, he had stopped training to be a doctor and chose instead to become a theatre director. In 2019, he was diagnosed with cancer.

What if he'd become a doctor and found out about the cancer earlier?

What if he hadn't needed to go through all this treatment?

And what is the other him doing now?

Lenson looks at the infinite number of 'you's' that might exist. His retelling of his life is witty and light hearted, despite the subject matter, and its dealt with in a positive way. He even manages to throw a bit of 90's nostalgia into the mix. We go away feeling like we've had a really nice chat with someone we've just met and now we know them a little bit better.

It's endearing, heart warming and insightful all at once.

Distinctively honest.

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Rachel Louise Martin

Anything That We Wanted To Be plays at Cairns Lecture Theatre at Summerhall at 12.30pm until 27 August.