Jacuzzi by Twilight
★★★★☆ Slick
theSpace on the Mile (Venue 39): Fri 7 – Sat 15Aug 2026
Review by Flora Henderson.
Taking audiences to the streets of Metroville, Jacuzzi by Twilight is a fast-paced comedy, running on alternate (odd) dates with the Edinburgh-based Optimiserables other show, Opportunity in Kind.
Writer Fraser Henderson, who also plays multiple characters throughout the piece, opens the show with an expository monologue. He is immediately engaging, luring the audience into this mystery and clearly establishing the setting. A soft jazz underscore and convincing New York accents take the audience straight to a world redolent of Brooklyn gangsters and film noir.
Jamie McNeill. Pic: The Optimiserables
As the plot begins to unfold we meet Lemuel Webster (Jamie McNeill), an ex-detective turned private investigator, and Diana West (Michael J Garden), an enigmatically mysterious woman who hires Webster to look into the recent suspicious death of a journalist. The victim’s corpse is played cleverly by Fraser Henderson, who demonstrates remarkable accuracy in his physical choices.
The official police detective on the scene is Chester Hobbs (Finlay Donald), who rather unwillingly enters into a partnership with Webster to solve the case. Sydney Mulligan has an impressive presence as Hobbs’ boss, Alistair Feuerbach, demonstrating remarkable vocal agility. Brook Smith is equally strong as Louis Goodwin, the unreliable political candidate, although his accent is slightly less credible.
All performers demonstrate excellent comedic instincts. They have found a great mix between embodying their characters and having the necessary awareness as actors, meaning their choices serve the play’s purpose and their reactions are specific. They are heightened without being over-the-top, and therefore extremely watchable and believable in their slightly larger than life roles.
effective
Jessie Syme’s direction further ensures that the piece is effective, as the actors’ comedic timing is paired with precise blocking, something crucial for this style. The scene changes are efficient, the set is simple but effective, and there is no unnecessary movement. Moments of violence are stylised successfully in a way that is again appropriate for the genre, where realism is not of utmost importance.
The dénouement is slightly rushed, with loose ends being tied up a little too neatly, but this is forgivable as the piece is a very clear parody of the genre. All in all, Henderson’s writing does exactly what it set out to do, and it is very well executed by a cast of talented and versatile performers.
Running time: One hour (no interval).
theSpace on the Mile (Space 3), 80 High Street EH1 1TH (Venue 39).
Friday 7 – Saturday 145August 2026.
Daily (odd dates only): 9.30pm.
Tickets and details: Book here at EdFringe.com.
Tickets direct from venue: Book here.
Facebook: @The-Optimiserables
Instagram: @optimiserables
Linktree: @Optimiserables
Brook Smith, Michael J Garden and Finlay Donald. Pic: The Optimiserable.
ENDS
