Piskie

An absolute gem. Sometimes the most courageous artists are the subtlest. Watching Piskie was like reading William Trevor: everything in the details. Flesh and blood characters sculpted one gesture, one slip of the tongue at a time. A picture slowly revealed. I went to see Piskie because I was interested in the themes on the tin; it is about magic and cynicism, but it is also much more than this.

Beautiful. I wept for the hope.

In her play Piskie, Lucy Roslyn plays psychologist Oudia Burt, giving a talk on her case studies debunking belief in the irrational. From this rather unpromising premise, the play soon opens out into much more, with witty asides and digressions into her childhood on Dartmoor. In particular, her relationship with her father and an imaginary piskie, a West Country version of a pixie, come to the fore, leading to a moving conclusion. Lucy is a superb performer and the show is one of the best I have seen on the Fringe this year.

I bought a ticket to this show last minute and really loved it! The concept of a highly rational individual questioning reality is excellently realized by both actors with minimal but effective stage effects. If you like gently spooky, emotional, and thought-provoking shows take a punt on a ticket!

This was a masterful piece of theater, minimal set and props, and intelligently crafted script. My deepest complements to Lucy Roslyn and her supporting performer whose name I wish I knew so that I could invoke both names with praise and gratitude for the heartfelt and polished performance. Subtle meaningful gestures, affecting characterizations, and clever bits of stage magic made this show beautiful to watch.

I loved this show. Booked on a whim. So compelling and I was drawn into the story. Incredibly well acted and written. Go see it.