By Ron Bingham
This one-woman play is set in the box office of a theatre and stars Torum Heng as Naomi, a young lady who has called a meeting to try to give advice to the even younger ladies who are heading down the wrong (sexually hazardous) path in their relationships. She starts the meeting with vegemite sandwiches and introduces us to each of the women who are prepared to give us their own experiences of love gone wrong, as examples not to follow.
Each character tells their story and sings a song (all original, very tunefully sung a capella) about their situation. One girl had a heartbreak she cannot get over, another has a reputation she is unable to get rid of, a third has an obsession with a certain hair colour (anyone with red hair should see this show just to glory in the song Torum sings at this point), while the last girl is unashamed and unabashed about everything. There is a wonderful climax to the show, plus a little post-climax entertainment.
Well written, acted and sung stories of the problems girls face growing up in a small town, performed by a vibrant and confident young lady. The vegemite sandwiches were also yummy.
– P.S. I would recommend grabbing a seat in the centre section of the audience, as the set (a wooden theatre box) restricts the view on the sides.
Keep Out of My Box (and Other Useful Advice) is on at Gilded Balloon Teviot until August 29
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on#q=Torum%20Heng%20