Writer and performer Laurie Stevens’ character comedy debut is occasionally as raw as the novice noughties emo-rock played by her character David. The year is 2006, and he’s the gentle, over-sharing, feebly rebellious 13-year-old singer of Limousine to Purgatory, who are meant to be playing their debut gig at the Bay Area’s coolest under-16s live music night Sticky Floors.
Except David’s bandmate Steven hasn’t turned up, and David’s annoyed that the definite likelihood of their being talent-spotted and invited to support and hang out with My Chemical Romance is slipping away. He stalls for time, telling us his and Steven’s story and inviting audience members to sing along and try out on drums.
It’s a show which is reliant on a certain amount of enthusiastic audience interaction, which is always a tricky place to put a Fringe play whose creator doesn’t necessarily come with their own built-in large audience. Yet fortunately the performance I saw had a particularly game couple sitting right up the front.
With their help, and with Stevens’ perfectly, lovingly realised caricature of this sweet, dorkish kid and his struggles with girls, his friend’s depression and the desire to show a man’s emotions while still being a kid at heart, she’s developed a comedy play which lives up to much of its undoubted potential.
David’s One-Man Band (F*ck You, Steven), Underbelly Cowgate, until 24 Aug (not 12), 4.10pm