The Reunion
★★★★☆ Sparkling
C aurora (Venue 6): Wed 5 – Sun 30 Aug 2026
Review by Hugh Simpson
GaggleHouse (Scotland)’s The Reunion at C aurora is a cheerfully funny romp that is often surprisingly affecting.
In Grant MacIver’s play, Mackenzie Millar’s semi-estranged father comes to see him graduate from Oxford University in 2025 – but dad’s presence might cause a problem. Mac has reinvented himself as posh boy Maxwell Barton-Millar, while his father Ronnie (a janitor from Edinburgh) comes from an entirely different social circle.
Harry Foyle and Jonny Tulloch. Pic Grant MacIver.
Ronnie has two tickets for the upcoming Oasis Murrayfield reunion gig (the Gallaghers’ music being one of the few things bringing father and son together) and proposes hitch-hiking to get there.
Cue a freewheeling energetic road trip on stage as Mac and Ronnie attempt to bond, fall out, discover things about each other and meet an assortment of other characters.
There is much that is likeable in the script, with its sparky interplay, assertive humour and broad-brush characterisation. MacIver’s direction also has real energy, using a small space inventively; stage manager and technician Megan Brannigan also contributes hugely to the smooth running of the show.
One of the most noteworthy things about the play is the way it unexpectedly and largely steers away from the sentimental. While father and son both have sympathetic sides, they are also both decidedly unlikeable characters in many ways – which only adds a realism and poignancy to their relationship.
vulnerability and preening entitlement
Harry Foyle gives Mac a fitting combination of vulnerability and preening entitlement; Jonny Tulloch’s comic energy as Ronnie is extremely impressive, with the way he interacts with the audience a definite plus. Megan Porter, meanwhile, plays a variety of different roles (with an array of accents) with spirit and comic nous.
The breathless nature of events and the admittedly cartoonish feel of much of the play could count against it, but there is so much energy and commitment that it always wins through.
There’s also a lot going on regarding relationships, family, contemporary political and social class. It is often subtly woven into the narrative but is sometimes more heavy-handed.
Oasis, meanwhile, are not always to the foreground of the story but are always lurking there in the background, and are given a symbolic importance which they (and the play) aren’t necessarily able to carry.
The ending, apparently looking back on the events of 2025 from several years in the future, strikes an odd note. However, the spirit and pace of this road-movie-on-stage are always in its favour.
Running time: 50 minutes (no interval).
C aurora (Studio), Lauriston Halls, 28 Lauriston St, EH3 9DJ. (Venue 6).
Wednesday 5 – Sunday 30 August 2026.
Daily (not 17): 9.05pm.
Tickets and details: Book here at EdFringe.com.
Tickets direct from venue: Book here.
Instagram: @gagglehousetheatreco
Megan Porter, Harry Foyle and Jonny Tulloch. Pic Grant MacIver.
ENDS
