Dear Michelle Kwan review – fire and ice in a whirlwind figure-skating comedy

theSpace Triplex, Edinburgh
Four skaters enter into feral competition in this darkly funny yet flimsily plotted play about female teenhood

The title refers to the figure-skating legend and Olympian who, in the noughties, captivated the US with her performances on ice, winning a total of five world championships. Here, the four teen skaters trying to make it big worship her, quite literally, invoking her for strength on and off the ice.

It is a great central idea with moments of frozen action as each girl sends a wish, a fear or prayer up to a godlike, absent Kwan in their most anxious or exhilarated moments. Christie Spessard’s play has verve, capturing the extremes of adolescent life and competitive sport. Energetically directed by Ryan Pangracs, it is full of humour with some zingers and movement that contains a true sense of gliding.

At theSpace Triplex, Edinburgh, until 29 August

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