Pretty Knicker Productions bring ‘Salamander’ to the Edinburgh Fringe 2022. Inspired by true events that took place in Leith in 1980, ‘Salamander’ follows a group of female sex workers as they meet in a local church to discuss poetry, life and… Freddie Mercury? This is in the aftermath of a young sex worker being murdered on Salamander Court. Accompanied by a police liaison officer (Pat) and a churchgoer (Joan) the woman share their experiences. ‘Salamander’ is playing Greenside’s riddles court till 27th Aug.
Mhairi McCall delivers a candid and heartbreaking journey as Tiff. At first you see McCall’s portrayal as a sarcastic young woman who shrugs off her problems, however as we uncover Tiff’s true struggles, then you see the pain and the torment that is very much present behind this strong woman. The raw emotion portrayed within McCall’s performance is devastating, she accurately represents these woman’s pain in such a naturalistic manner, which is truly remarkable due to the dark themes and issues that are explored. This is a brilliant performance.
Claire Docherty brings a stunning portrayal filled with gut wrenching emotion, maternal instincts and clear aggression as V. Docherty’s portrayal of V is so true to that of a young working-class woman, how she wears her heart on her sleeve, the justified anger and most importantly, how V defends and loves the girls surrounding her. Docherty’s performance is so open that it makes it so easy for V to be accessible to the audience. With that, Docherty’s performance stands out in this production, especially when she shows V’s reaction to loss, with that scene in particular the emotion shown delivers such a blow to the audience. This is an incredible performance from Docherty, she is undoubtedly one to look out for.
Sarah Dingwall is hilarious as Candy, the ditsy one liners are fantastic and with that just her whole demeanor radiates comedy gold. This play has a lot of dark moments however Dingwall’s portrayal lightens this piece where scenes could lean too far into the darkness. Niamh Kinane brings us a versatile performance which both embraces the comedic and dark notes of this production, where we see Kinane’s Roxy as the perfect pairing to Dingwall’s Candy. Not only that but Roxy’s dynamic with Becky Niven’s Joan is truly lovely. Kinane’s portrayal hits the various notes of this piece whether it’s the disturbing themes, the musical interludes or if it’s the comedic nuance. Kinane also compliments her fellow performers portrayals by developing Roxy’s relationships with other characters perfectly.
Becky Niven’s portrayal of Joan presents us with a conflicted woman who clearly has been subdued by falling into the life she has been told that is right for her. There’s a battle of morality, of love and of religion very much present within this character’s journey and Becky Niven presents Joan with such beautiful nuance, where we experience the low moments with this character and we also have some hysterical highs, which each affect the audience in equal measure.
Claire McCarragher presents Pat as a voice of reason and an almost maternal figure at points, where we see a similarity to V yet also a stark contrast in terms of the demeanor of both characters. This is an engaging performance which gives an insight to the system and also how policewomen interacted with sex workers. McCarragher presents Pat with a high morality, yet you see the disappointment in her eyes when the women mention the fact that no one has been caught for their friends murder. McCarragher also embraces the comedic side of this production in her performance during the opening number, safe to say the glitz and glam radiates from her.
Lewis Lauder adds to the ambiance of scenes on guitar, supplying a musical accompaniment for some of the musical numbers featured, he does a smashing job.
Mhairi McCall and Cal Ferguson’s writing for this piece is stunning, they do the excellent job of capturing the sense of community and also translating the culture of the people of Edinburgh to stage. The themes and issues explored in this piece can be harrowing however with the approach they have taken to dilute some of that darkness with fantastic comedy and musical interludes, it means the messages still resonate with audiences and they also entertain them at the same time. The poetry on offer is also sublime and it’s clear the talent these writers themselves have for capturing such important matters so candidly through poetry.
Kirsty Pennycook directs this production by making sure McCall and Ferguson’s writing is placed on stage with such energy and emotion. Pennycook makes sure the feminist values are very much present without screaming about it, while giving a revealing look into an industry where we never really get the perspectives of the woman involved. Pennycook makes sure the characters stay unfiltered and the brilliant working-class demeanour of these girls is portrayed accurately.
‘Salamander’ is a funny, emotional and very creative insight into the lives of Edinburgh’s sex workers. The stories of these woman resonate strongly with audiences thanks to the incredible performances from this stellar cast, the stunning writing from McCall and Ferguson, plus the pacey fun direction from Pennycook.
Get tickets below:
Theatre Scotland 
Leave a comment