Review: WHAT ARE WE WATCHING? Jack’s Lantern, Edinburgh Fringe (Online)

What Are We Watching? is a comedy about four working class students: Nick, Dan, Michelle and Lucy. Nick is not a fan of Christmas due to family issues, but his partner Lucy is leaving the country shortly, so he is trying to make it a good night for her sake. 

Set at Christmas and based in Yorkshire, What Are We Watching by Jack’s Lantern is a 40-minute rehearsed reading recorded via Zoom, which follows four students in their final year of university, as they talk of past Christmases, favourite films and presents. Stuck inside during a snowstorm with only Freeview, they find it difficult to find anything Christmassy to watch. 

Written and directed by Peter Aldred and Joleen White, this recorded Zoom-streamed piece is very cleverly edited by White, giving the effect that it’s all performed in the same room by the actors. This also works well with the flow of the dialogue. 

Alan Cammish (Nick), Adrianna Liu (Lucy), Bel Odawa (Michelle) & Connor Lee Dye (Dan) are great at bringing the story to life, with a diverse range of subjects including what to buy people for Christmas and life after university as they begin to ponder what they will do. 

As the story starts to unfold, there is an interesting intervention from Michelle & Dan’s friend Alastair (Mark Gillott), who turns up at the house to fix Michelle’s laptop and reveals to Dan why the rent is so low on the house they’ve been living in. 

Lucy is leaving for Hong Kong soon and we are given a taster of what it’s like to say goodbye to a friend, or in Nick’s case, a partner as they’re coming to the end of their final academic year. This rounds off the piece well and asks the very apt question “What Are We Watching?”

Giving us a little bit of early festive spirit in August, this one is perfect for anyone who loves Christmas. 

***’ 3 and a half stars

Reviewed by: Emily East

What Are We Watching? is available to watch via Fringe Online.