Fringe review: BLOOD OF THE LAMB, B Street Theatre - Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Photo credit: Murdo MacLeod

After her transcontinental flight is diverted to Dallas, Nessa inexplicably finds herself in a room with Val, a lawyer for the state. She is unable to leave. New abortion laws prohibit Nessa from leaving the state until after she gives birth, even though both women know that the fetus is deceased and Nessa's life is in danger. Will Val put her own career on the line in order to help Nessa escape?

Did you know that abortion was legal throughout the US until a court ruling in 2022 overturned the decision that had been made almost fifty years previously? Now eighteen out of the fifty states in America have eliminated or severely restricted abortion and another eight have limited access.

Written by Arlene Hutton and directed by Lynsey Burch, Blood of the Lamb directs us to ask: what would we do in Nessa's situation? What would we do in Val's?

Dana Brooke plays Nessa, her calm yet frustrated demeanor reflects the situation well. No amount of screaming and shouting is going to change anything. Elisabeth Nunziato plays Val, her journey builds from stating the rules with verbatim to the realisation that she is dealing with a grieving mother.

It's a well written script with good performances from both actors. It's shocking to know that the basis of this piece comes from fact rather than fiction. It is incredibly frightening to realise that should we be in the wrong place at the wrong time, we might not be allowed to make decisions about our own bodies.

Alarmingly real, fantastically portrayed.

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Rachel Louise Martin

Blood of the Lamb plays in the Front Room at Assembly Rooms at 2.10pm until 27 August.