Reasons to Be Pretty
★★★☆☆ Irregular
Assembly Roxy: Weds 1 – Sat 4 Apr 2026
Review by Ruth Bennett
Reasons to Be Pretty, by local grassroots company Locked in Thought at the Roxy until Saturday, brings fine acting to Neil LaBute’s complex interrogation of social expectations and interpersonal trust.
A change in the play’s usual setting, moving it from America to Edinburgh, has larger ramifications than you might imagine, however, and undermines the otherwise decent work of the company.
Ellie Marie Duncan (Carly), Christian Grant (Kent) and James Cumming (Greg). Pic Alastair More
Reasons to Be Pretty follows the relationships of two couples who are friends. Warehouse workers Greg and Kent are involved with, respectively, hairstylist Steph, and pregnant security guard Carly.
Steph is on the brink of ending her four-year relationship with Greg over his casual remark, reported back to her by Carly, that her face is “just regular.” Relationships deteriorate over the next few months.
LaBute is celebrated for his fine-tuned ear for sociolects – those of American blue-collar suburbia.
To soften the jolt from America to Edinburgh, the company make such obvious surface substitutions as quid for dollars, arse for ass, and Tesco and Spoons for US stores and bars. Not everything is changed, however, introducing the prospect of Scottish bail bondsmen. But the problem runs much deeper than that.
deep divergences
American and British English differences aren’t just in a handful of nouns. They extend to word frequency, rhythm, and styles of swearing, among other things that the transposition ends up inadvertently highlighting. All of these deep divergences amount to distractions that are beside the intended point of LaBute’s drama.
James Cumming (Greg) and Chloé Baines (Steph). Pic Alastair More.
What happens to Reasons to Be Pretty when it gets separated from its linguistic and sociological origins and thus loses its naturalism? For one, the enjoyably sharp line in the original between realistic drama and each character’s direct monologues becomes blurred. For another, a distancing “uncanny valley” effect is created, which creates an extra obstacle for the actors in establishing credibility and relatability.
In the case of Greg, the effect is magnified by James Cumming’s performance seemingly channelling a young Woody Allen. His stutters, pauses, gestures and inflections are wonderfully observed, but these tics and affectations are far more at home in Long Island than Leith. It lands him in an indecisively Atlantic-straddling limbo, an improbable chimera speaking American English in a Scottish voice.
affability
As Steph, Chloé Baines isn’t quite fiery enough to be convincing in her character’s spikier moments, but her mien is well-suited to Steph’s vulnerability as a hurt but likeable woman lashing out. Christian Grant’s Kent is a bully and textbook misogynist, but played with enough affability to escape mere stereotype. As Carly, Ellie Marie Duncan has a nice turn with her monologue that delves into self-awareness, but is otherwise somewhat closed-off.
LaBute’s psychological dissections use a subtle scalpel. While these actors are all obviously proficient, they’re too occupied with overcoming the strangeness of the transposition to have much scope left for nuance.
Ellie Marie Duncan (Carly) and Christian Grant (Kent). Pic Alastair More
Plot points are duly hit, but we see little of the gradual evolution of Greg’s discomfort with Kent as it tips into disloyalty, or Carly’s growing insecurities. Steph’s inner conflict over her love for Greg versus her desire for a partner who finds her more than “regular” is only fitfully on display. Nor do we get a firm sense of the chemistry that binds the protagonists, either as couples or as friends.
watchable performances
Director Grace Louise Phillips draws watchable performances from the well-balanced company, and there are other delights, such as the soundscapes that effectively complement Lauren Thom’s spare but functional sets.
As the company’s second production, after last fringe’s Intrusion, this is a competent and amiable showing. However, it is one that is notable more for the sense of oddness it manufactures than for the depth of its drama.
Running time: Two hours and 10 minutes (including one interval)
Assembly Roxy, 2 Roxburgh Place, EH8 9SU.
Wed 1 – Sat 4 April 2026
Daily: 7.30pm (Upstairs).
Tickets and details: Book here.
Locked in Thought Instagram: @lockedinthoughtprods
James Cumming (Greg) and Christian Grant (Kent). Pic Alastair More.
ENDS
