Josephine Balfour-Oatts

The Scotsman reviews five Edinburgh Fringe theatre productions. Jerk Off! is praised for Nadia P. Manzoor’s nuanced autobiographical storytelling, dance and exploration of abuse, identity and victim narratives. Get a Grip earns praise for turning Benjy England’s comic account of porn addiction into a witty examination of intimacy and fear of rejection. 3 Times I Killed is commended for Andrea Coleman’s vivid courtroom stories and reflections on self-discovery, while Citizen Otherplace offers sharp satire of the American medical system but is criticized for reproducing the illness-as-combat metaphors challenged by Susan Sontag. Launa presents an affecting account of maternal grief, though its ambitious staging is judged to overwhelm the central story.