Review: Cruising, Pleasance Courtyard

As love triangles go, the one Amelia (Clare Stenning) and Sam (Davy Roderick) find themselves in risks getting rather complex. As the pair flirt on the cruise ship where Amelia works as a dancer and Sam is a passenger, it suddenly transpires that both are in an open relationship with the same person! Yes, things could get messy.

Amelia is headstrong and overconfident in her own greatness. Sam on the other hand is less sure of himself, his self-doubt never far from the surface. But what they both have in common is an eagerness to please the third element of their unusual triangle, Tony. After the revelation of this common ground, things escalate drastically as the pair carry out a crazy campaign of climate activisim. 

There’s a lovely pacing to Cruising, especially in the early scenes, with a quick change of lights and posture signifying the time jumps as each drink is consumed. In fact, the lighting is superb throught, and along with the soundscape effectively creates the feel of a bustling cruise ship. 

Katrina Bennett‘s script is full of wonderful lines, providing commentary on the climate emergency while avoiding any heavy preaching. Amelia accuses Sam of “saving the planet with overpriced vegan shoes”, and Sam later complains that she is “sunbathing while the planet burns”. Both lines shed light on the pair’s environmental activism, suggesting that they are not motivated by real ideological reasons, but instead simply want to get their kicks and impress Tony. It’s as if they are competing to prove that they are the more worthy of Tony’s praise and, ultimately, his love. 

It is perhaps this commentary that needs to be clearer. At times there’s a blurring of lines between the show’s themes of relationships, activism, and self-worth, meaning it risks becoming a little bit of everything but not enough of one thing. The love triangle also perhaps requires more consideration, and there’s a sense of needing to not look too hard at it or you might see the cracks. It feels more like Tony is having two full-time relationships than an open relationship, and you have to wonder how he has kept the two halves apart for so long! However, this is forgivable if you can just relax and enjoy the madness.

The use of Fabian Bevan‘s voice as the Captain, making more and more frantic announcements over the ship’s tannoy is another glorious addition. When he declares that “any attempt to ruin the holiday vibe is a criminal offence” you sense he is starting to lose the plot.

I am also a big fan of Stenning’s acting. She gives Amelia a hint of madness, something she excels at, and in some ways it’s a shame she isn’t given freer reign to go further with this. Nonetheless, it’s still such a pleasure to watch her at work.

Cruising is never going to change the world: it’s not going to convince anyone to take up arms and fight the evil that is the polluting cruise liner industry. But it is a lot of fun, a piece with a great heart that will make you glad you stepped onboard and went along for the ride. 

Written by Katrina Bennett
Directed by Sophie Leydon
Sound Design by Davy Roderick
Lighting Design by Francis de Lima
Set Design by Clare Stenning
Produced by Dreambite Collective

Cruising plays at Bunker Three at Pleasance Courtyard until Monday 31 August as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.