Created by Annie White, Angelshark is a very well written comedy drama that gets its laughs precisely when it wants to, building an interesting world around Saving Squatina, a summer camp on Shetland dedicated to protecting the endangered angel shark. The chemistry between the three-strong cast is brilliant throughout, with running bits that land every time they’re brought back into the story.
Lottie (Rosie Jayne O’Donavan) is a joy as the nature-loving hippie of the group, while Mira (Annie White) is just as well drawn: a woman who drunkenly signed up for the camp after an ex cheated on her, purely because the name made her laugh, without realising she’d actually be sharing it with other people. Harry (Joe Souter) provides plenty of fourth-wall-breaking comedy, often pulling the audience directly into the unfolding plot with genuinely funny interactive moments. Souter’s performance is particularly impressive, with a fantastic ability to deliver great acting along with keeping the crowd laughing with his seamless fourth-wall-breaking, he is one to watch. The mystery kicks in when the trio, a bottle of whisky deep, head to the beach where an angel shark was found dead, and Harry’s reluctance to share what he knows casts him as an immediate suspect.
The tension builds well from here, and the eventual twists and turns serve to be clever, well-earned surprises. The climax is tense and performed with real conviction, landing on a morally ambiguous ending that leaves you genuinely unsure who, if anyone, was in the right. A very funny, sharply constructed hour.
Angelshark, 13:45, Space3 at the space on the Mile, Until Aug 28
