American Idiot
★★☆☆☆ Strong Cast
Braw Venues @ Hill Street (Venue 41): Fri 7 – Sun 30 Aug 2026
Review by Ed Boulter-Comer
There is no doubting the energy from the cast in Sound Events Scotland’s production of American Idiot at Braw Venues @ Hill Street for the full run of the Fringe, without a day off.
This moody juke-box show by Billie Joe Armstrong and Michael Mayer, weaves a story from the songs of American pop-punk band Green Day into a musical. The young company thump the stage with enthusiasm to Sasha Dewar’s choreography and every lyric comes across clearly. The chorus numbers have the heft needed to mirror the punk rock aesthetic well and on occasion are louder than the accompanying soundtrack.
A scene from American Idiot. Pic: SES.
Sound is where the cracks in the performance show. The cast perform without mics. This is not an issue in terms of hearing the voices but a misunderstanding of the musical genre, which is rooted in the amplified voice and the different things it can do.
Sound Events Scotland have other offerings at the Fringe where mics are ubiquitous, so this is a choice, presumably from director Callan Paterson and MD Charlotte Howgego, and it is one that ultimately lets both cast and audience down.
The cast have to sing at full voice for most of the show. They do this well but it means that intimate moments are lost. Riffs that should be mic-drop moments such as a final flourish from Lucy Burns, are adequate when by rights they should be stunning.
a hint of what this cast could do
An instance that really works is when Freddie Bannister as Johnny, has an “unplugged” song, accompanying himself on an acoustic guitar. The scene comes alive, and the emotion of both character and song land excellently. A skilled instrumentalist as well as a singer, Bannister gives us a hint of what this cast could do if the production around them had been fully thought through.
There are better productions from Sound Events Scotland out there this Fringe.
Running time: One hour and 50 minutes (including one interval).
Braw Venues @ Hill Street (Alba Theatre), 19 Hill Street EH2 3JP (Venue 41).
Friday 7 – Sunday 30 August 2026.
Daily: 8pm.
Tickets and details: Book here at EdFringe.com.
Tickets direct from venue: Book here.
Fri 7 – Sun 30 August 2026
Facebook: @SoundEventsScotland
Instagram: @soundeventsscotland
Instagram: @americanidiot.fringe26
ENDS
