Comedy Double Bill
★★★★☆ Entertaining
St Ninian’s Church Hall: Tue 14 – Sat 18 Apr 2026
Review by Hugh Simpson
Edinburgh Theatre Arts’ Comedy Double Bill is a thoroughly enjoyable evening, with one half being diverting and the other half outstanding.
The title might be thought a little misleading, as one of the two offerings is really a musical. The first, however, Eric Berlin’s The Line That’s Picked Up 1000 Babes, is certainly a comedy.
Kirsty Doull, Dan Collins, James O’Neill and Caitlin Christmas in The Line That’s Picked Up 1000 Babes. Pic Finlay Black.
Set in a New York bar, the play clearly dates from the era before dating apps (or mobile phones of any kind), and some of its attitudes come from even earlier. The central conceit is that Benny (James O’Neill), who has come to the bar with his friend Alan (Felix McLaughlin), has the book of the title, and he believes it contains the secret to impressing women.
The book and its contents were clearly meant to be outdated even by the time the play was written, but at this remove this is not always easy to work this out. It is unclear whether we are supposed to laugh at, or laugh with, the hapless Benny and Alan, who are quite frankly grotesque.
considerable energy
O’Neill and McLaughlin do give them considerable energy, and there is plenty of that snappy, Noo Yoik comedy, played in extremely impressive accents. Despite this, and John McLinden’s careful direction, the piece doesn’t always have the necessary rhythm.
Kirsty Doull and Caitlin Christmas in The Line That’s Picked Up 1000 Babes. Pic: Finlay Black.
The scenes between Fran (Kirsty Doull) and her friend Ellen (Caitlin Christmas) come closest to achieving the necessary pace and crackle, and as a result these characters are the most immediate. Dan Collins provides some extremely impressive drunk acting as Charlie, while Kelly Donaldson’s exasperated Diane is well judged.
episodic
One problem is that the play is extremely episodic, with a series of short scenes, some of which would have been trimmed by a more ruthless writer. That it seems to have ended at one point, when there is still more to come, is a sure sign that the structure is slightly off.
Kelly Donaldson and Dan Collins in The Line That’s Picked Up 1000 Babes. Pic: Finlay Black.
While The Line… comes across as sporadically amusing but not particularly riveting, there are no such problems with the second half of the double bill.
Looking For The One was one of those A Play, A Pie and A Pint mini-musicals a couple of years back, and if any of them deserves a revival it’s this. Sylvia Dow’s story tells of three Edinburgh bus-stop acquaintances who become friends and share their stories of dating disappointment and holding out hope that they might meet ‘the one’.
touching and clever
It’s a thoughtful, beautifully observed, excellently constructed and utterly charming piece, with touching and clever lyrics set to the excellent music of singer-songwriter Kim Edgar (who herself has an association with ETA going back years).
David McCallum, Janey Grant and Colin McPherson in Looking For The One. Pic: Finlay Black.
With minimal backing of recorded keyboards, the songs are performed in an intimate way by the cast, with just the right level of understated drama and volume to fill the space.
David McCallum, Janey Grant and Colin McPherson act through song wonderfully, and are similarly impressive between the numbers. Grant’s English teacher, still living with her mother in her 50s, McPherson’s uptight, cardigan-wearing computing lecturer, and McCallum’s slightly younger man, comfortable with his sexuality but still not quite sure of himself, are all played with delicacy and believability.
pitched just right
The portrayals, of three people somewhat battered by life’s disappointments but still endlessly hopeful, are pitched just right. Sheila Thomson provides unobtrusive but vital support as the bartender in the pub whose changing décor cleverly suggests the passage of time. And even if you can see the ending coming a mile off, it doesn’t matter a bit.
Colin McPherson, David McCallum and Janey Grant in Looking For The One. Pic: Finlay Black.
McLinden’s direction is similarly sympathetic and beautifully considered. One particular scene, detailing the perils of speed dating, is simply brilliant; the performance, the direction and the lighting (designed by Ian Cunningham and operated by Simon Hirst) come together perfectly.
Technically, the evening is strong throughout, with Cunningham and Hirst’s work on sound also impressing. Finlay Black’s set designs are economically evocative, with the scuzzy New York bar particularly well portrayed.
On its own, the second half of the double bill is definitely approaching five-star territory. The first half may not reach those heights, but taken together the double bill provides considerable entertainment.
Running time: Two hours 20 minutes including one interval
St Ninian’s Church Hall, 40 Comely Bank, EH4 1AG
Tuesday 14 – Saturday 18 April 2026
Tue – Fri: 7.30 pm; Sat: 1pm and 6pm
Tickets and details: Book here.
ETA website: www.edinburghtheatrearts.com/
Facebook: @edinburghtheatrearts
Instagram: @edinburgh_theatre_arts
ETA will be staging Cluedo at St Ninian’s Church Hall during this year’s Fringe.
Cluedo (ETA)
St Ninian’s Church Hall, 40 Comely Bank, EH4 1AG
Monday 10 – Saturday 22 August 2026
Tue – Fri: 7.30 pm; Sat: 1pm and 6pm
Tickets and details: Book here.
Time passes… Colin McPherson and Janey Grant in Looking For The One. Pic: Finlay Black.
ENDS
