Review: 15 Minutes of Shame, ZOO Playground

15 Minutes of Shame is being performed at ZOO Playground, one of Edfringe’s smaller venues, just off South Bridge. There is a horsebox bar in the garden outside serving beers and cocktails, with picnic tables, making it a nice space for pre- and post-show drinks.

Performed in a small room with a thrust-stage layout, the performance space is intimate, as is the subject matter. It tells the story of a couple struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and facing multiple setbacks. Known only as ‘Her’ and ‘Him’ (Ellen Pallant and Anton Bibby) the idea of creating an OnlyFans account to pay the bills is quickly quashed, but desperation leads to their moral compasses shifting, and justification starts to kick in, quickly becoming their new reality.

There is a lot to unpack in the sixty minutes, and at times it feels as though too many topics are being crammed into the dialogue, which doesn’t allow the story to fully evolve. He has several jobs, including as a food delivery driver and a chef, but is struggling with a zero-hours contract. He also has a love of gaming, which creates friction and even more conflict. She is a fashion influencer, caught up in a world portraying a fake life online, where it is hard to know truth from fiction. The couple argue about money a lot of the time and experience multiple evictions. She, in particular, is angry for pretty much most of the performance, raging against a society that makes it impossible for women to achieve their dreams. She is the dominant one in the relationship, and He spends a lot of time placating her.

This is a topical, well-performed play, but some of the long descriptions of algorithms and discussions about views and likes on social media posts could have been cut to allow a deeper delve into their relationship.

It’s a story of desperation, growing up in today’s society, the cost-of-living crisis and the lengths people will go to survive.

Written by Sean Stillmaker
Directed by Adébayo Bolaji

15 Minutes of Shame plays at Venue 186 Playground 2 at ZOO Playground until Sunday 30 August.