Bold and Sharp Theatre: Safety Review | Ellen Leslie

‍★★★★

Written and performed by Michael Reid, Safety is a solo play following psychotherapist Adam. When former client Bill abruptly stops coming to his sessions, Adam only wants to check he’s okay, and help him to come to terms with the big realisation he was close to in his last session. What starts as caring concern slowly turns down a dark path, as professional boundaries are blurred, and relationship dynamics start to shift.

‍Reid is equally talented at writing and acting, and he keeps the audience engaged for the whole performance. He pulls us into his world straight away with an interesting story: he has to turn away Isabella, a prospective client who is concerned her husband is cheating on her with a woman called Camille because he already has Camille as a client. He plays a variety of characters, from former patients to the creepy pharmacist Doug who is always trying to flirt with him at conferences and professional events, and ensures they are distinct by using different tones and accents. All of this is tied together by Reid’s dry sense of humour and quick wit, making the comedic moments feel natural.

‍It is a skill to create morally grey characters like Adam, and what’s most striking is that while our perception of him changes, Reid doesn’t change his acting style which makes the twist even more shocking. It is only after the play that we look back at his actions, and wonder if his intentions were as honourable as we originally thought.

‍Lots of thought-provoking points are raised, such as the limitation of using labels for mental health conditions but what’s striking is the subtle references to class scattered throughout the play. Adam discusses how he does some pro bono work for a charity, but brags about charging hundreds of pounds for sessions in the city, which highlights some of the barriers that working class people face in accessing mental health support. The play also demonstrates attitudes towards working class people, including how some middle class professionals treat them as beneath them, and use their trauma and flaws to protect themselves and elevate their careers.

‍Safety is an exciting debut play for theatre company Light Mends Carefully, established by Reid, who hopes to platform work exploring how systems of care can cause harm. It is a bold, sharp piece of theatre that challenges our understanding of authority and raises awareness of power imbalances within the systems that are supposed to protect us.

‍Safety will be performed at Daisy at Underbelly Bristo Square until 30 August (not 18, 25) as part of Edinburgh Fringe.

By Ellen Leslie

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