A firm audience favourite year after year, the Young Pleasance returns to Edinburgh Fringe with their 2023 offering, Showgirls and Spies, written by Rebecca Wilson.
Four grandchildren inherit a suitcase which contains the belongings of Sadie, a ballet dancer living in France at the outbreak of World War II. As they unpack her personal effects, they discover the truth about their distant cousin; a showgirl in a Paris hotspot, and a spy for the French resistance.
Showgirls and Spies is based on the real-life story of the writer’s Aunt, so there’s definite authenticity in the script, but that also extends to other aspects of the production, most notably the of-the-era costumes such as the brilliantly coloured can-can skirts, or the more sinister uniforms of the Nazi Officers.
Co-Directors, Rebecca Wilson and Marc Benga ensure that the production races along at a gripping pace, as the grandchildren follow the clues to learn more about xxx, the action unfolds for the audience at the same time.
Scarlett Field-Green shines as Sadie, while Amedee Le Gouellec De Schwarz as Ezrah stands out from the present day children, though as is always the case, the entire company give this their all and demonstrate the sheer talent that always accompanies a Young Pleasance production.
This is a hugely compelling story that shines a light on the war that was being fought, not in the trenches, but on the streets. It also subtly links the prejudice and inequality then to the modern day war being fought against antisemitism and wider racial injustice.
Sadie was ‘hiding in the spotlight’ and Young Pleasance are putting these talented performers firmly in their own spotlight with another incredible Fringe show. The bar is being raised year after year, but Showgirls and Spies may just be the best Young Pleasance production yet.
