Festival season in Edinburgh is in full swing, the sun is shining - everyone is out enjoying the sun and the exciting vibe in the city feels magic, especially when you think about where we were just a couple of years ago.
We kicked off this weeks Festival Fringe with an eagerly awaited show set in none other than Edinburgh itself. On a sunny Monday afternoon we headed down to the Pleasance to see the theatre production of Irvine Welsh's second book in the Trainspotting series.
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The world premiere of the show is on at the Pleasance Courtyard all month long for the 75th anniversary of the Fringe. When a novel and film is so fondly appreciated by fans, there may be question on whether or not it can live up to the high expectations.
But with Scottish writer, director, and actor Davie Carswell leading the adaption and the script receiving the seal of approval from the Porno author himself, it was sure to be a brilliant performance.
A hybrid of both the book and film, the production revisits the four main characters around 15 years after the events in Trainspotting when the Leith boys find themselves in the pornography business.
I had the same feeling walking out of Porno as I did walking out of T2 - I’m definitely going to go and see this again. The way the cast captured the essence of the characters was incredible and within the first five minutes of the show opening we were captivated.
I’m still taken aback at how well the actors performed each character, sometimes after reading the book and seeing the film the different representation of the characters in each medium can change how you take in the story - not necessarily in a bad way.
But there was so much crossover with the characteristics, accents and mannerisms of the characters from the show and film, the juxtaposition between the two complimented each other beautifully.
I actually saw Trainspotting at the Fringe back in 2015, on the same day as I went to see Porno this year and was just as impressed as I was then seeing such an iconic piece of Edinburgh culture brought to life on stage.
The venue for the show was ideal with a huge stage and small set made up of the Sick Boy’s aunts pub. The cast absolutely dominated the space, creating many of the iconic scenes set in different locations across Edinburgh and Glasgow purely through skilful acting with no set changes or need for props.
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The end of the play was slightly different to the film which worked with the theatre adaption really well. It rounded off the whole show and storylines within, perfectly with a satisfying twist.
It’s a brilliant production and definitely one of the best shows I have seen at the Fringe so far this year, if you enjoy Irvine Welsh’s work and the films or just want to see a great quality show Porno is a must see this August.
The stage production of Trainspotting is always back again this year and has always been a massive hit at the Fringe. This year it has been getting some incredible reviews, so if you haven’t already seen the show, it is another one to add to the list.
Porno is playing at PLEASANCE BEYOND – 4.50pm from August 3 - 28 not including 15 and 22 - tickets can be purchased here
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