Review: Do Better: A Dramagedy, Olive Studio at Greenside

My favourite thing about a magic show is that it allows us, however briefly, to believe in possibilities that weren’t there before. For writer and performer Izzy Salant, learning to become a magician allowed him to find possible routes through grief, and help others rediscover wonder in an unforgiving world.

As the audience files into the space, we’re asked to write one thing we could do better on a slip of paper and drop it into a bag centre stage. We then promptly forget about this as Do Better: A Dramagedy begins, and Salant starts telling us about his life at 10 years old. This sounds pretty great right up until he relates how his mom got Lyme disease. He recalls how he and his dad tried their best to support her through an increasingly debilitating condition, but this story’s ending is, as the show’s title forewarns, a tragic one.

But, as with all tragedies, there are many heartfelt and caring moments. Salant uses card tricks to frame the narrative, describing the wonderful messages of condolence he received from his Hebrew school classmates, and how he was supported by the other kids in his class at school. 

He also tells us of the difficult experiences he faced, such as being bullied at a new school, and struggling with a late diagnosis of depression. It is after this decline in his mental health that Salant discovered magic, and he expresses how it helped his recovery. He recounts how becoming absorbed in a trick allowed him to escape, to disappear, and to help others forget their own tragedies for a moment too. But I think he’s missing a trick (sorry, not sorry): it’s Salant’s presence that makes this performance what it is, not his disappearance. 

There are a few things in the show that feel a little strained: some of the transitions between anecdotes could be crisper, and, though hilarious, it is at times unclear what Salant’s college stories are contributing to the overall narrative. Additionally, I would have liked some of the stories to be drawn out a bit more. Salant briefly mentions a moment where he ends up comforting some new friends after they find out what happened to his mom because he didn’t tell them sooner. This could have been an interesting dynamic to explore in a bit more depth.  

The show culminates with each of us being reunited with the things that we could do better through a complex illusion that involves the entire audience. This is a strong ending: hearing this roll call of positive messages to round off the show is a great gift.  

Written and performed by Izzy Salant
Directed by Peyton Ashby
Produced by SpotCorp Events

Do Better: A Dramagedy plays at Olive Studio at Greenside @ George Street until Saturday 29 August as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.